No more security protocols for unauthorised persons

LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Following the orders of Chief Justice Saqib Nisar regarding withdrawal of additional force from the houses of VVIPs, additional security arrangements made from PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Fazl-ur-Rehman and several other top officials were withdrawn on Friday.

In this connection, the Punjab IGP ordered the officials concerned to withdraw 52 Elite Force and 50 Punjab Constabulary from the additional security of the Jati Umra residence of Nawaz. The provincial police chief has directed the RPOs and DPOs to compile the list of those performing such duties in their respective areas.

More than 8,600 policemen are currently performing the security duties for important political and government personalities in Punjab, which include the likes of Chaudhry Shujaat, Pervaiz Elahi, Hamza Shahbaz, Suleman Shahbaz, some retired judges and police officials, journalists and religious leaders.

Sources say the chief secretary presided over a meeting which decided to formulate a standard operating procedure for security purposes but only the necessary number of personnel would be deputed in the light of the Supreme Court’s orders.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,769 policemen deployed for protocol and security duty with unauthorised individuals – including parliamentarians, government officials and politicians – have been withdrawn.

The total includes three sub-inspectors, one assistant sub-inspector, 29 head constables, 1,144 constables, 249 personnel of the special police force and 343 ex-servicemen.

The police high-ups in Swat district withdrew the highest number of policemen, 420, deployed with unauthorised individuals. Of these, 172 were deployed for lawmakers, 144 for police officials and 98 for other government officers. The number for Peshawar district is 241 – 133 from district police and 108 of the Frontier Reserved Police.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police are facing a number of challenges to maintain law and order due to the shortage of force. Still a large number of policemen are deployed unnecessarily at the residences and offices of police officers and other individuals, a source added. Most police officers are having more gunmen and servants than the number they are entitled to for themselves as well as their family and offices.