Guarded enough?: 883 on VIP protection in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

List shows former lawmakers still avail official escorts.


Manzoor Ali May 15, 2012

PESHAWAR: Highlighting the security mindset prevalent in the province, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) assembly was told on Monday that 883 police guards had been assigned for VIP protection during the past four years.

Details submitted to the assembly, in response to a question by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentarian Noor Sehar, showed that 171 police guards have been assigned at the chief minister House in Mardan, while 21 police guards have been assigned to Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan.

Interestingly, many unknown individuals who are neither lawmakers nor government functionaries have been provided official security according to the list. Lawangeen Khan, a nephew of Asfandyar Wali has been provided 26 guards, Emil Wali Khan, his son, holds seven guards.

Sulaiman Khan of Rajar, brother in law of the chief minister has been provided with 18 guards. Bashir Sherpao, president of the Pakthun Student Federation (PSF) has also been provided with a police guard.

This list also shows that some privileged former lawmakers and bureaucrats are still availing official escorts including former chief secretaries Raiz Noor and Major Naeem, with two guards each. Former lawmakers Anwar Kamal Khan Marwat and Amir Muqam have two and four guards each. Fazal Elahi, a former judge and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Pervez Khattak have two police guards each.

Legislator Noor Sehar said the public exchequer was being “wasted” by the provision of guards to former government functionaries.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2012.

 

COMMENTS (10)

Haris Khan | 11 years ago | Reply

The recent attack in Kohat on a Jirga, in which ANP MNA narrowly escaped while 4 others were killed, proves that those who want to create fuss about the security provided to ANP leadership & KP govt officials have malafide intentions.

Salman Ahmad | 11 years ago | Reply

@ Marwat. Beefing up security does not deter attackers.

My opinion:

It is Pakistani mentality that anyone with slightest hold of authority wants to show-off. One of my teachers said, " Pakistanis are obsessed with authority". He said this in year 1994. I now understand what he meant.

All these politicians (not just ANP) are fire fighting. ANP has paid the highest price than any political party in Pakistan. However, Pakistani politicians are lacking wisdom(including ANP). Wisdom is not to be able to maintain status-quo, it is to see at least 20 years ahead.

In my research I found that in MIT(a famous US university) in 1980 they were looking at 2050. In Pakistan if you tell this to anyone , they will brand you crazy.

What these politicians be doing is to spend public money on education. It is the only way Pakistan is going to get better leadership, not grandfather, father , son type of PSEUDO-politicians.

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