The Foreign Office sought security measures for the diplomats and a group from the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and they alerted the home department of their planned visit to Swat on September 22 in a letter dated September 9.
According to the letter, a copy of which Dawn has access to, the ICCI president Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawri formally requested protection for the envoys’ Swat tour on September 5 to the Foreign Office.
The letter said, “Please make sure the necessary security arrangements are made in accordance with the rules, policy, and prescribed SOPs [standard operating procedures] during the visit/stay of foreigners in your area of jurisdiction.”
The home department was made aware of the Sept. 22 tour and the Sept. 9 security request.
