PESHAWAR: Approving a dedicated force for the security of foreign investors in the province, Khyber Pakhtunl(hwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Saturday said initially, personnel for the 4,000-strong Investment Protection Force would be taken from law-enforcement agencies.

He also said funds for 500 personnel of the force would be reflected in the current financial budget and for the rest in the next budget.The development came during a meeting held here at the Chief Minister`s House to review security arrangements for foreign investors.

The meeting was attended by provincial police chief Salahuddin Mehsud, Strategic Support Unit head Sahibzada Saeed, principal secretary to the chief minister Mohammad Israr, secretaries of the planning and development and home and tribal affairs departments.

A relevant official said the government would spend Rs1.2 billion annually on the force.

A statement issued here said that the participants discussed the arrival of investors in the province in light of the recent KP Investment Road Show in Beijing, where a large number of memorandums of understanding were signed both at government-togovernment and business-to-business levels.

During the meeting, the CM also orderedthe formation of a coordination committee of various government departments to ensure that the targets of the investors` security planin the province are achieved.

He approved the recruitment of Investment Protection Force personnel (IPF) in two phases besides purchase of vehicles, equipment and other `force multipliers`.

The CM told participants that his government would provide security to foreign investors `beyond their expectations` `We will provide secure and facilitating environment to investors,` he said.

Mr Khattak called for better coordination among the police and planning and development and home departments in this respect.

He asked the provincial police chief to produce the details of the IPF requirements, including the numerical strength of the force and technical equipment.

The CM said the Beijing Road Showopenedup the province toforeigninvestors, who would show up in large numbers soon to sign agreements and the province would face different kind of challenges.

He urged participants to prepare standing operationalproceduresin thisrespect.

`We are taking steps to tackle the security-related challenges in order to restore the confidence of investors,` he said.

Mr Khattak said the dynamics of his government`s industrial policy were realistic and that a special care had been taken to providejobs to the localresidentsin the industrial units to be set up across the province.

He said the departments should interact with investment companies for strict compliance with the agreements.

The CM said the government had already begun technical training programmes to produce skilled manpower to help industrialisation process in the province.