Police have responded so far, however, after the intervention of Federal Ombudsman Secretariat as Syed Anwar Mehmood, honorary senior advisor to the Ombdusman directed them to answer.
As many as 3,677 policemen have been allocated for special security division that is also responsible for guarding key installations in addition to “the provision of security guards to the VVIPs and VIPs.” Those assigned police escort include president, prime minister, diplomats, distinguished individuals as well as judges of superior courts, according to AIG Police.
The special security division is headed by an SSP-rank officer and comprises of five SPs, 12 DSPs, 41 inspectors, 144 sub-inspectors, 264 ASIs, 517 head constables and 2,693 constables, making a total of 3,677 (38.77percent) of Islamabad police force. Nevertheless, there is a shortage of 1370 officers and personnel as the sanctioned strength of the special security division is 5047.
Although the number of police escorts deputed for the VIPs was drastically decreased during current regime, the police deployment is being increased again after assessment of threats perception to them, according to the official reply of Islamabad police.
As for as the police-population ratio is concerned, Islamabad rivals with big cities where policing has not been a prime concern either, let alone the smaller cities and far flung areas. Take an example of Lahore, a city of 11 million populations with a police force of 32600.
The News does not have figures available to segregate the police deployed for VIP security and for the commoners in. Nevertheless, going by the total strength of Lahore police means there is one policeman for 335 citizens, according to a recent study done by Tariq Khosa, former IGP.
If we look at Punjab level, the country’s biggest province with a population of 103 million (according to 1998 census), there are 179,921 policemen i.e. 1-573 ratio. Those deployed for VIP security are included.
In 2013-14, Punjab police’s share in the provincial budget was 7.59pc. Of the allocation, 84pc went towards salaries and 7.7pc to fuel, leaving only 8.3pc for operational costs, according to Mohammad Ali Babakhel, a police officer. “Per capita police spending must be increased. Presently per capita police expenditure in Punjab is $7.6. In contrast, Indian Punjab spends $15.9, Turkey $135 and London $754,” he wrote in a recent article on Punjab police.
The situation is graver in Karachi that has a population over 20 millions but the police force of 26,504 thus one policeman for 850 citizens. How many of them are deployed to protect VIPs is anybody’s guess.
According to a report last year, the private security guards have outnumbered due to increasing demand who have crossed the figure of 55,000.