The violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down in the Blue Book for security of VVIPs is almost routine, said a senior police official. He said that the Blue Book, which is a classified document, spells out a comprehensive security plan that is followed during VVIP movements, especially those of the president and the prime minister.
"Ultimately security is the responsibility of the police, but we can't do anything except follow orders of higher-ups. We don't know whether the person we are giving protocol to actually merits it under the laws of the land," he stated. He said that the police are informed in advance about the security of a VVIP and the police are bound to make necessary security arrangements.
MNA Talal Chaudhary, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told Business Recorder that Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, travels in his personal vehicle and pays for fuel from his own pocket. When asked about his security detail that accompanies Chief Minister Talal Chaudhary said that this information cannot be disclosed due to security concerns.
An officer of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police said that a decision taken by the government recently was to not let the motorcade of any VVIP exceed seven vehicles, but this requirement is on paper only and not on the ground. He clarified that the VVIPs entitled to protocol include the president, the prime minister, all governors and chief ministers of provinces and visiting foreign dignitaries, but lamented that in Pakistan, even the relatives of VVIPs, who hold no public office, enjoy protocol at the expense of the taxpayers'.
"If the VVIP is travelling in his personal capacity such as Bilawal Bhutto, Imran Khan or any other party leader, they can also take personal guards along, but it is the duty of the district police concerned to provide security to the VVIP," he explained. He said that the private security guards of a VVIP are not allowed to travel along with him in the plane with heavy weapons.
A report submitted to Senate by Interior Ministry revealed that the Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui has more police guards than any federal minister. Former Senator Waseem Sajjad has one dozen police for his security. Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan is the only minister who leads by example. His security consists of a car ahead and a car behind him. Musharraf in 2013 was given 49 policemen for security which included three inspectors, seven sub-inspectors, eight assistant sub-inspectors, seven head constables and 24 constables. And there are three policemen deployed to guard his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad at present.
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