The International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) of the United Nations announced that it has restored Islamabad’s status as a family station, allowing UN personnel to travel with their families to Pakistan.
A letter from the office of the ICSC chairperson, Larbi Djacta, notifying the development, states: “I, under the delegated authority of the Commission, discontinued the non-family status of the duty station Islamabad, Pakistan effective 14 June 2019.”
The letter states that the decision was made following a security evaluation of the capital city and on the recommendation made by the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Department for Safety and Security. After a rise in terrorism and political hostility, Pakistan was declared “too hostile” and was given a status of a “non-famaily duty station”. According to the ISCS website, “a non-family duty station” is one 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”.
Twitter blew up with the news, with many citizens seeing this a way towards progress and improvement within the country. Let’s hope it is.
