Interior ministry says VIP protocols by the book

Informs SHC measures taken in accordance with Blue Book

KARACHI: The interior ministry informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday that foolproof security was provided to VVIPs and VIPs, including the president, prime minister and judges, in accordance with the guidelines contained in the Blue Book.

A division bench was hearing a petition against security protocols provided to VVIPs/VIPs filed by the Ansar Burney Trust. The trust had taken the President House, Prime Minister House, interior ministry, Sindh home secretary and chief secretary to court following outcry against VIP culture after death of an infant during Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s visit to Civil Hospital, Karachi.



Young Bisma, who was suffering from measles and a high fever, died on December 23, 2015 after her father was unable to enter the hospital due to security measures in place for Bilawal, who was inaugurating a trauma centre there.



In its report, the interior ministry contended that the prime mandate of the Security Division Police is to provide foolproof security to VVIPs/VIPs, judges, federal ministers, visiting heads of state, visiting delegates and other prominent dignitaries in accordance with the instructions contained in the Blue Book. In this regard, a security order is issued with point-to-point deployment of police officials during VVIP movement, the report stated.

Headed by SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, the division bench directed the petitioner to file a counter-affidavit to the interior ministry’s report. Burney said motorcades of public functionaries, including members of parliament, ministers, MPAs and leaders of political parties, routinely trample public sentiments.

“VIP protocol has become a menace for society and its inhabitants, being over-defensive in approach, excessive in content and obtrusive in nature, due to which public convenience routinely suffers,” Burney has argued in the petition.

He said the high-speed movement of VIPs’ armed convoys, with their bomb-and-bullet proof cars and tinted windows, scares the masses and causes unnecessary inconvenience. The petitioner alleged that traffic is brought to a standstill and people are held ‘hostage’ to ensure a smooth drive for the VIPs.

The human rights activist mentioned that ambulances carrying patients get held up in traffic jams, citizens cannot reach airports or train stations in time and doors of hospitals are closed for the public, which leads to the death of patients, all due to VIP movement.

Burney stated that this movement imposes an active barrier upon the free movement and liberty of the people. “The basic and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution guarantee people the freedom of liberty and movement, subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by the law,” the petitioner maintained.



He argued that articles 9, 10, 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution specifically guarantee rights for the security, liberty, dignity, freedom of movement and equality of all citizens, thereby every person has an inalienable right to enjoy the protection of and be treated in accordance with the law.

He pleaded to the court to direct the respondents to ensure that roads are not blocked during any such movement.

He also sought directions for the respondents not to infringe on or curtail public liberty or violate fundamental rights by closing down service centres such as airports and hospitals or suspending other routine public operations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2016.