'UN family station' a big achievement: Qureshi.

Byline: SHAFQAT ALI

ISLAMABAD -- Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday said that restoration of Islamabad's status as family station by the United Nations was a big achievement of Pakistan.

His statement came as Pakistan managed support of Turkey, China and Malaysia to avoid being placed on the Financial Action Task Force blacklist - another diplomatic success.

Speaking to journalists here, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the UN decision reflected confidence of world body in Pakistan. This decision, he said, will 'help build trust as well as increase investment in Pakistan.'

The Chair of the International Civil Service Commission may designate a duty station as a non-family duty station for the purpose of additional hardship allowance for service in non-family duty stations -- replaced by non-family service allowance in the revised compensation package.

This applies to those duty stations where the United Nations Department of Safety and Security decides that for reasons of safety and security all eligible dependants are restricted from being present at the duty station for a period of six months or longer. Duty station could be declared as 'non-family' prior to the six month mark following evacuation as the Commission decided to specifically have the situation assessed at the three-month mark.

At that time, the Under- Secretary-General for Safety and Security would review the situation and advise the Chair of the Commission. At the six-month mark the definitive decision on the family or non-family status would normally need to be made by the Chair of the Commission after consultation with the Department of Safety and Security.

Family restrictions for reasons of safety and security and designation of non-family duty stations are normally reviewed twice a year, in conjunction with the mid-year and annual hardship reviews in June and November each year. Non-family designation may be introduced or lifted outside the scheduled time if the security situation so warrants.

Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said such a determination and classification by the UN was a rightful acknowledgement of the turnaround in the security environment in Pakistan.

He said that Pakistan looked forward to working closely with the United Nations system in Pakistan, facilitating the valuable work that the UN officials carry out throughout the...