IHC upholds ban: G-B police can’t escort CM in provinces

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has upheld the federal government's ban on the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) police, halting it from going to other provinces for the security of the chief minister.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the request of G-B CM Khalid Khurshid against the order barring the regional police from going to other provinces for his security.

Lawyers Mian Ali Ashfaq and Qadir Janjua appeared in court on behalf of the petitioners. The Ministry of Interior additional secretary, Additional Attorney General Manoor Iqbal Dogul, and others appeared in court on behalf of the federal government.

During the hearing on Thursday, the additional attorney general presented the rules related to VIP security in court on behalf of the federal government.

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The rules regarding VIP security were approved by the cabinet on September 10, 2021, during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the court was apprised.

According to the rules, the security of VIPs was the responsibility of the respective provincial governments.

The Ministry of Interior had banned G-B police personnel from accompanying the CM to other provinces. It issued a notification on March 24 in this regard.

The notification of the ministry was challenged by the G-B CM and the regional government.

The court said that the G-B police could not be deployed outside its designated limits for VIP security.

The chief minister also gave an undertaking to the court that the G-B police would not be deployed in any province for VIP security in the future.

The G-B police could only be posted at the G-B House, Islamabad, outside of its limits, like the police of other provinces were stationed in the provincial houses in Islamabad.

The court said that the rules made by the federal cabinet regarding VIP security should be fully implemented.