In spite of the passage of 40 days after the constitutional term of the National Assembly ended former Interior Minister Rehman Malik and former Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira are enjoying government security squads at the expense of Pakistan's taxpayers.
A senior police official who declined to be named told Business Recorder that Diplomatic Protection Department (DPD) of capital police had withdrawn security squads of all former ministers and state ministers a day after the dissolution of the National Assembly. But the very next day, he added, the Interior Ministry issued directives to restore the security squads of Rehman Malik, Qamar Zaman Kaira and a 'protection squad' to Asma Arbab Alamgir of PPP, citing life threats to the trio.
The Supreme Court (SC) on April 18 suspended a notification under which the former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and Interior Minister were entitled to lifetime security and other perks. The official said that following dissolution of National Assembly, Inspector General Police (IGP) Islamabad Bani Amin directed the DPD, which is responsible for providing security to VIPs and VVIPs to withdraw security squads deputed with 34 ministers, 15 state ministers and five advisers to the then Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asharaf.