SHC issues notices to government law officers on plea against VIP movement

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to federal and provincial law officers on petitions against the VIP and VVIP protocols enjoyed by politicians, public functionaries and other high profile personalities during their movement.

Petitioners Ansar Burney and Sarim Burney, who also head their respective welfare trusts, requested the SHC to take notice of violation of fundamental human rights of citizens.

The petitioners submitted in the petition that motorcades of public functionaries, including members of parliament, ministers, MPAs, their representatives and leaders of political parties of the country, which is denoted as VIP or VVIP movement/protocol is a common parlance, has become a routine to trample the public sentiments.

They submitted that the VIP protocol has become a menace for the society and its habitants, being over-defensive in approach, excessive in content and obtrusive in nature due to which public convenience routinely suffers.

They mentioned that ambulances, carrying patients, get held up in traffic jams, citizens cannot reach airport on time, doors of hospitals are closed down for the pubic due to the VIP and VVIP movements, thus some patients die at hospital doorsteps or struggle for their lives in ambulances.

They submitted that they were not against provision of security to important personalities and dignitaries in the current law and order situation. However, the people should not be made to suffer due to such VIP movements.

They requested to the court to direct the respondents and enforce that roads/routes should not be blocked duringany VIP and VVIP movements.They also sought a direction for the President’s House, the PM House and provincial government not to infringe or curtail public liberty or violate fundamental rights by closing down service centres like airports, hospitals or suspending normal operations. Secretaries to the President’s House, the PM House, the interior ministry, the provincial home department and chief secretary were cited as respondents in the petition.