Special Security Unit calls for reinforcement on judges’ security issue

Commandant tells Sindh Police boss ‘no remedy available other than
to continue with the present arrangements’ on security matter

ISLAMABAD: The Special Security Unit (SSU) is apparently on warpath with top police hierarchy on a burning issue of ‘providing high alert security’ to superior courts’ judges in Sindh, a deepening row which may put security of top judicial officers on stake in coming months in the province.

Serious differences between the SSU and office of Inspector General Police Sindh emerged on issue of superior courts judges’ security soon after Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah’s son Barrister Awais Shah was kidnapped in a posh area of Karachi on 20th June, insiders told Geo News (ASKKS Programme)/The News.

“Under the present resource constrained situation there is no remedy available other than to continue with the present arrangements for security provision unless the reinforcement is provided for additional deployments with the judges, their families, judicial officers and court buildings in accordance with the demand,” Commandant Lt (R) Maqsood Ahmed responded to office of IGP Sindh Allah Dino Khawaja who sought more commandos from the Special Security Unit for high alert security of judges and their families.

Soon after abduction of SHC CJ’s son, around a dozen judges sought more security staff from Sindh Police for their families, insiders revealed on Friday. In response to it, IGP Sindh AD Khawaja in a confidential letter directed Mushtaq Mahar, Add IGP (Karachi Range) that “the security of judges of the apex court and Sindh High Court should be dealt on high priority and existing resourced of Special Security Unit, Security Zone-II & II should be mustered to ensure that there is no security lapse at any cost. In case any lapse is observed responsible officers will be strictly held responsible for the same.”

But the office of SSU Commandant called spade a spade that they could not provide more commandos due to scarcity of manpower, adding that the team was performing its duties without any pressure and completely knew its professional work.

 “It is there requested that additional 482 personnel and 54 pickup vehicles may immediately be provided to cater the increasing demand for provision of security to the judges and judicial officers at the earliest,” SSU Commandant office further wrote to IGP office.

Amid this deepening row, SSU Commandant Maqsood Ahmed, who was also holding charge of Security One Unit of Sindh Police left the country, as insiders claimed, he was in conflict with top Sindh Police hierarchy on this security issue. Maqsood was the in-charge of both important units (SSU and Security One Unit) responsible for VVIPs’ security in Karachi.

“He left Pakistan—reason looks obvious, I meant he developed differences over high alert security for judges with high-ups,” a senior official at SSU office told Geo News/The News on condition of anonymity. Senior official, however, explained that we are hoping SSU Commandant would return soon to handle this worsening situation.

In another development Sindh government decided to recruit over 400 Commandos for the SSU in a move to meet need of security for the VVIPs in the province, officials said. It will take almost a year to train these new recruits who later be guarding either VVIPs or VVIP Buildings, most probably by end of 2017, they further revealed. With this recruitment, number of commandos would cross 2, 500 at the Unit which will consume over Rs1.5 billion for 2016-17, they added. But interestingly, 3 permanent judges of SHC will get superannuation and thirteen other (ad-hoc) judges of SHC will complete their tenures by end of next year.

Sensing sensitivity of this issue, the provincial government, in an attempt to improve security of judges, increased number of police force from 2, 670 to 3, 000 personnel, informed officials said. It has also increased number of Rangers personnel from 250 to 330 deputed on the security of Supreme Court and high court judges, they confided to this correspondent. Apart from it SSU 370 Commandos are also guarding VVIPs, they added. It is also pertinent to mention here that the SSU is one of the specialised units of the Sindh Police with its distinctive operational characteristics to cope with urban terrorism, particularly in Karachi.