KARACHI:
While Karachi’s roads occasionally clog to make way for VVIP movements, there is one former premier the city never feels the presence of.
Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who was prime minister from 2002 to 2004, believes in simplicity and says it is only God who will save him, not guards in a protocol. “It has been eight years since I stepped down but since then the government has not offered me the protocol of an ex-prime minister,” he told The Express Tribune.
But it appears Jamali does not like pomp and show. “I prefer travelling alone without disrupting peace of the city,” he said.
Jamali, the first Baloch to hold the office of prime minister, currently has four guards at his residence in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighbourhood of Karachi, while another four are deployed at his house in his hometown of Rojhan Jamali.
He also expressed dismay at the current trend of VIP culture and said that even during his government he would ask his protocol officers to avoid causing traffic logjams and blocking roads.
According to protocol officials, former president and prime minister has the right to demand a VIP protocol, which includes four police mobile vans, an ambulance, a pilot and a squad jeep.
“A security plan is drafted every time an ex-prime minister visits Karachi. We pick him up from the airport and from then until the minister leaves the city he’s our responsibility,” said SP Security Aijaz Hashmi
A senior official, asking not to be named, revealed that the government is bound to provide protocol to ex-premiers even if they do not ask for it. But the government has its own version of Jamali’s story.
Sindh Protocol Director General (DG) Dabeer Ahmed says that he was never aware of Jamali’s visits to Karachi.
“The level of security given to an ex-premier depends on the city’s security situation,” he said, adding that normally the cabinet division informs the provincial government about the arrival of an ex-prime minister prior to his visit. The protocol department, then, with the help of police and other concerned departments, makes security arrangements.
“We cannot do anything if Zafarullah Jamali does not inform us about his visits. We can’t force anyone to avail a protocol,” said Ahmed.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2012.
COMMENTS (36)
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I think he should be given his proper /respective protocol . In spite that these protocols have been ineffective and mere show off of the power and money . Police has never delivered and i don't expect them to deliver weather they 're present or arrives hours late at the scene . And yes RESPECT this man for his simplicity , puppet or no puppet he was forced to step down cause he refused to take action against another Baloch and send his army against his own countrymen .
Ultimately, he was noticed. The job is done.
Jamali FTW
@Hello1: As a former PM, he should be accorded gaurds for safety but you seem to be unecessarily critical.
@Nasir Baloch: Sir, you have a very valid point, but is it not a shame that all the so called elected prime ministers ( a powerful post under the constitution and the law ) remained ineffective.
Still remember the time when the whole of Gulshan was held hostage due to his protocol; was indeed a tough era for the residents. Falling out of favor I suppose
He has done neither any good nor any bad to the country; was a simple innocent stooge of dictator Musharraf, whom he used to call "Boss".
@H.A. Khan: H.A.Khan: Come on you can't be all that naive. No Prime Minister with the exception of Mr. Liaqat Ali Khan was good and simple!
He is probably wise - not drawing attention to himself. Place like Karachi - there is more safety in anonymity than in a siren-blaring lights flashing pilot jeep.
Respect!
The rich, get elected, get protocol, retire, still rich, still get protocol...
"Protocol simplicity: Former PM Jamali drives unnoticed on Karachi’s roads" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Strange sense of news headlines from the Tribune!
Tells you a lot about this country, when something like this makes the headlines
I like simplicity of this man and he seems to be a self made and reasonable guy. However, I feel he is bit silent in politics these days!!!
Protocol what for dude? Are you serious?! haha.. The fact that he was even the PM for 2 years coming straight from a helicopter (out of nowhere) he should consider himself damn lucky! Musharraf could have made anyone the PM at that time if he wanted..he wasn't even a properly elected Prime Minister to begin with!
Pakistani flag on his picture is upside down.
Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali Sahib in his first visit to Peshawar after assuming the office of Prime Minister emphasized a point in his address to the members of provincial assembly. He said that one must give respect to others to get respect.The life style of this great Balooch leader symbolises this very aspect of his personality
this is a lame joke actually expected of ET! I used to live in Gulshan's same block when Jamali was PM, and you cannot imagine how relieved the neighborhood was when he left the office. Whenever he used to visit his him those days all the streets around the area as far as F. B. Area (Yassenabad) clogged for prolonged hours :-(
@ Pervaiz: No one in Pakistan has full power to run government except for army general. Yes he was as powerless as Benaizr Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, Shaukat Aziz, Yousaf Raza Gilani ,Chaudhry Shujaat and Raja Pervaiz Asharaf. Have any one had power to run the government independently, so it was possible for a person from smaller province to show up his teeth.
Balochistan is already marginalized and this has proved how successive government behave the people of Balochistan be it ordinary citizens or politicians. This is why the sense of deprivation prevails in the province.
Pakistan needs these types of Personalities
Attention Mr. Imran Khan, you can contact him to join your team.
he is a respectable man....
Nice gesture but it does not cover the fact that he was an ineffective PM.
I think this report has now put him to security risk. government should immediately take measures to protect him, otherwise it will he held responsible for any untoward incident occur!
And where was this simplicity when you were in office sir? He would make a take out at mc donalds everyday, with the mc chickens delivered straight to him from lahore by air for breakfast. They did not have the rotten joint in islamabad back then.
Sour grapes. If he really believes "only God who will save him, not guards in a protocol" why does he keep four guards at his home. Unfortunately our so called VIPs are barely recognisable once they are out of power.
He is among others who had also backed Musharraf regime and became prime minister to enjoy power lust. It is pity that everyone becomes so innocent after enjoying privileges.
Bravo Jamali saab, you've done Baloch & Pakistanis proud.
Once I found him sitting in a tent with some people in Jacobabad district. He had come to offer condolence with a family. I surprised to see him leaving the place without squad for Karachi. No doubt he is landlord, but is living simple life.
He comes from time men were men and fighting crime meant shooting back.
I agree. He should be given security he deserves for. I have really set precedents like other good people
Respect!
He said himself 'government has not offered to me the protocol of an ex-prime minister' so maybe he was forced to drive unnoticed rather than a personal choice.
Was a good simple PM
Great indeed....