ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Brigadier (r) Ijaz Ahmed Shah on Monday said that his ministry was all set to announce a new policy on the issuance of mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the foreigners visiting farflung areas of the country. The minister was speaking to a UN delegation which called on him here under the leadership of Knut Ostby, UN resident coordinator for Pakistan. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan was also present on the occasion. Allaying the concern of the UN delegation over the requirement of NOC for the foreigners, the minister said, “Soon the ministry will come up with a feasible solution to the problem. Promoting tourism and ensuring provision of full security to the tourists across the country are among the main priorities of the government.” The UN representative showed his satisfaction over the improved security situation in the country. “We are pretty much satisfied with the overall security situation in Pakistan in general, and the federal capital in particular,” said Ostby while sharing his observation about the capital. The minister appreciated the UN’s decision to restore Islamabad’s status as a family station after a gap of almost 11 years.

Minister appreciates UN’s decision to restore Islamabad’s status as family station after 11 years

“I must appreciate the efforts of Islamabad Police and the law enforcement agencies for the restoration of peace in the city. It would not have been possible without their efforts,” Shah said in the meeting. IGP Zulfiqar Khan said that Shah could rightly be called the architect of the new policy of Islamabad Police. Talking about the global peace, the interior minister said that the world had become a global village and provision of justice was mandatory to maintain global peace. He further added that the UN Security Council must take notice of the atrocities being committed by forces in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) as well as wherever such issues were taking place. “It is very important to ensure that the world peace is not endangered,” Shah stressed. The meeting concluded on a resolve that the two sides would coordinate with each other for better working relations in future. In June 2019, the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) of the United Nations had announced that it was restoring Islamabad’s status as a family station, thus allowing the UN personnel to travel with their families to Pakistan. The decision was taken following a security evaluation of the capital city and on the recommendations made by the under secretary general of the United Nations Department for Safety and Security. Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi had welcomed the decision. The UN had withdrawn Islamabad’s status following suicide blast in Marriott Hotel in September 2008 that left dozens of people dead.