Pakistan imposed a travel ban on foreign diplomats while Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Sunday called for strict vigil at diplomatic missions during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays to avert any possible incident of terrorism,including suicide attacks. The federal government imposed the ban on travel by foreign diplomats within the country without seeking prior permission. Diplomats will have to seek permission from the Foreign Ministry before any travel,The News daily quoted its sources in the Interior Ministry as saying. Following advice from the Interior Ministry,diplomats in Islamabad were asked not to visit Quetta and Gilgit-Baltistan. Applications from 29 diplomats to visit Quetta were rejected by the Foreign Ministry because they could not provide justification to visit the city. The Foreign Ministry turned down the request of three diplomats to visit Gilgit-Baltistan. The authorities also imposed a ban on travel by diplomats posted in consulates in Karachi,Quetta,Peshawar and Lahore. Malik also said that nine terrorists involved in an attack on a key Pakistan Air Force on Thursday were all Pakistanis. All of them are Pakistanis and authorities have complete details about their activities and links. The Pakistan Air Force,Punjab Police and Federal Investigation Agency are investigating the terrorist attack, he said.
