Shifting of diplomatic missions held in abeyance

ISLAMABAD The much-debated issue entailing shifting of foreign missions from residential venues to Diplomatic Enclave has held in abeyance followed by the reluctance of diplomatic quarters to move their offices and apathy of Government to take up the matter.
In the wake of mounting security threats to diplomatic missions and inconvenience caused to masses on account of setting up of road barriers and pickets around offices of the United Nations and other foreign-based organisations in private localities, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had told the journalists sometime back that all UN offices and diplomatic missions in private localities would be shifted to Diplomatic Enclave.
However, with the reluctance shown against the said statement of the Interior Minister by some diplomatic circles and senior UN officials, the government gurus have reportedly backed off from their repeated rhetoric pertaining to arranging alternative provisions for foreigners to run their affairs.
A credible source in the Interior Ministry told TheNation that no practical measures have been taken so far regarding moving offices of the foreign-based organisation. Nobody has moved an inch as far as that particular matter is concerned, the source confided.
Details further reveal that Foreign Office, concerned embassies, and city administration have not done anything, so far, to deal with the matter. As a face saving tactic, the bodies concerned told the media that alternative location was being arranged for foreigners and the problems related to road barriers and illegal check-posts in the private localities were being sought out when the media highlighted this issue after repeated terrorist attacks in Islamabad.
Another noticeable aspect related to this issue entails the defiant demeanour of diplomatic missions towards Pakistani laws. It has been reported that Interior Ministry tried to 'convince the diplomatic missions operating outside Diplomatic Enclave to move to safer locations. However, the missions, particularly the ones from Western European origin, plainly refused to comply with the government on the issue. Instead, these missions have further enhanced the number of illegal barricades and checkpoints causing massive inconvenience to residents as well as common commuters.
Time and again, Senate Standing Committee on Interior has taken strong exception to the matter and has rebuked Chairman Capital Development Authority Imtiaz Inayat Elahi for not taking effective measures to address the issue, while on the other hand, UN Resident Coordinator Fikret Akcura has publicly opposed shifting of UN offices to Diplomatic Enclave, as according to him, the decision could restrict UNs interaction with common people.
Although, some prominent diplomatic missions exist inside Diplomatic Enclave, their extended offices are working outside the enclave. The Embassies of Saudi Arabia, France, Russia, China, Egypt and Iran are located inside Diplomatic Enclave but Saudi Consular offices, cultural economic and military offices of China, French Cultural Centre, Trade Representation of Russian Federation and Irans Khana-e-Farhang commonly known as Iranian Cultural Centres are operating in residential areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Apart from the given figures, American Embassy is believed to run dozens of its undercover offices and secretive organisations in the posh localities of Islamabad.