Judges security: Summary moved for hiring of 2,859 cops, purchase of 219 vehicles

LAHORE: A summary has been sent to the Punjab finance department through the IGP Punjab for recruiting 2,859 policemen for security of Lahore High Court (LHC) judges, widows of judges and subordinate judiciary officer, and purchase of 219 new vehicles for their escort duty.

According to official documents available with the reporter, the summary recommended recruitment of 2,421 policemen, especially for serving judges, retired judges, and widows of judges of superior judiciary.

The summary also recommended recruitment of 438 drivers for vehicles of judges of superior and subordinate judiciary. The summary also recommended for purchase of 219 single cabin vehicles for escort duty of judges of higher and subordinate judiciary.

The summary demanded for recruitment of 2098 security personnel, 219 new non-bulletproof single cabin vehicles and 438 driver for the LHC chief justice, one junior judge, five admin judges, Lahore High Court’s 42 other judges, LHC’s 88 retired judges, and widows of 21 judges of the high court.

The documents showed that the provincial government would have to spend additional Rs656.774 million as salaries of judges’ security staff including 323 head constables (grade 9), 2098 constables (grade 7), and 438 driver (grade 7). The government will also have to pay Rs1.752 billion [Rs1,752,640,201] as regular allowance to these judges.

According to documents, the summary recommended purchase of 13 single cabin vehicles for escort duty of 11 judges of the Supreme Court, 4 such vehicles for LHC chief justice, for a junior LHC judge 2 such vehicles, five single cabin vehicles for as many admin judges, 43 more such vehicles for as many other judges of the LHC, nine such vehicles for as many retired chief justices of the LHC, 88 single cabin vehicles for as many retired judges of the high court and 45 single cabin vehicles for subordinate judicial officers and reserve squad.

For purchasing 219 escort vehicles, the government would have to spend Rs941.7 million, Rs52.56 million on their annual repair and maintenance, Rs141.912 million on petrol and diesel and one million rupees would have to be spent on other expenses of these vehicles. The total cost of purchase of the escort vehicles, and their annual fuel and maintenance expenditures would reach Rs1.137 billion [Rs1,137,172,000], according to official documents.