Zardari allowed to keep personal security

The court directed the former president to inform the interior ministry of the vehicles, guards and weapons he kept.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) permitted former president Asif Ali Zardari to use bullet-proof vehicles with tinted glasses and to keep his private security at his "own expense" owing to the threats to his life from militants.

The former head of the state has, however been instructed to inform the interior ministry about the number of vehicles, guards and weapons he intends to keep.

The former president and the co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) approached the High Court, seeking permission to use bullet-proof vehicles and to keep private security guards with licenced arms owing to the threat to his and his children's life from the militants and "undemocratic forces".

Zardari filed the petition through his attorney Abu Bakar Zardari, citing the federal interior ministry Sindh's home secretary and director general of Rangers Sindh as respondents.

His lawyers Farooq H Naek and Shazia Hanjrah informed the court that the petitioner served as the eleventh president of the country and successfully completed his term. Naek added that the president had overseen a successful military operation against the Taliban.

The lawyers stated that the president needed to travel to tend to party affairs and in that regard required more security.

The lawyers said that the top political leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was receiving threats to their lives from extremists, particularly since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

Deputy attorney general Ashiq Raza said the request made by the petitioner seemed to be justified since he was requesting for permission to make security arrangements while he was entitled for this being the former president.

Similarly, the additional advocate general Haleema Khan also supported the contention raised by the former head of the state’s lawyers, and raised no objection, if the petition was allowed.

Allowing the petition, the bench headed by Justice Faisal Arab permitted the former president to use bullet-proof vehicles with tinted glasses and to keep private guards with armed licenses at his own expense.