“Our security forces are not supposed to be guards. They do not belong to a private security agency. They have duties to fulfill,” said the interior minister. PHOTO: INP
If one is not the president, prime minister or chief justice of Pakistan, they will not be provided with VIP level security by civil armed forces anymore.
The decision to withdraw civil armed forces from security duties of VIP personnel, bar the president, premier and chief justice, was made by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan at a high-level meeting on Thursday.
“Our security forces are not supposed to be guards. They do not belong to a private security agency. They have duties to fulfill,” said the interior minister.
He said a transparent manner would be adopted for those who really needed security and minimum provision would be made for them.
The interior minister stated that he had also directed to withdraw 20 personnel deputed on his security protocol and asked others to follow his instructions in this regard.
A raft of other decisions was also made at the meeting.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government has also planned to form two powerful task forces – one will be tasked with devising a new national security policy and the other will look into addressing the issue of enforced disappearances.
A decision about the powers and limitations of the taskforce dealing with missing persons will be taken by the government after consulting other security agencies. The interior ministry will also formulate a mechanism to introduce the first ever national security policy.
The missing persons taskforce will also be able to lodge complaints against officials of law enforcement agencies allegedly involved in enforced disappearances, senior interior ministry officials told The Express Tribune.
The first among a series of meetings was held at the ministry to discuss the matter in detail. It was attended by heads of all security agencies. Several meetings will be held later on to formulate a well rehearsed and coherent national security policy, they added.
Addressing a press conference later, Chaudhry Nisar revealed that the two taskforces would be created for the purpose.
“One will address security concerns of the citizens while the other will be tasked with the responsibility of working on the missing persons issue,” the interior minister explained.
Interior ministry officials told The Express Tribune that the new security policy will address all security challenges faced by Pakistan since 9/11. It will also consider the recommendations prepared by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security – headed by Senator Raza Rabbani – last year, they added.
Security plans prepared by former interior minister Rehman Malik in the face of deteriorating law and order will likely be scrapped.
The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), whose main objective was to foil terrorist acts in the post 9/11 world, will play an important role in this regard, officials explained. A meeting on the new national security policy will decide how NACTA and the National Crisis Management Cell will envisage liaising between civil and military intelligence agencies. The Intelligence Bureau chief will brief the meeting on national security.
Some of the other decisions made in the meeting include computerising all records and functions of police stations in Islamabad in three months.
Chaudhry Nisar also expanded on measures introduced for ensuring sanitary conditions of the roads, regularisation of health care and checking tax evasion.
“Medicines should be sold with the name of pharmaceutical company and dealer stamped on it, so that they can be tracked down if the medicines prove to be sub-standard,” he said.
He also decided that there would be an immediate ban on issuing arms licences whether prohibited or not. All such licences issued in the last five years would be scrutinised.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2013.
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This is done just in enimity with philanthropoist Mr Malik Riaz who has ranger guards. I believe Rangers is being paid for this services by him and others like PPL and OGDCL thus Rangers/FC earn a lot
Nice decisions! these are initiatives are change! armed licences should completely ended from the country ! great
These very basic steps to bolster security are welcome indeed but they must be implemented with impeccable attention. Take away the security of ministers, advisers, and special assistants who are nothing but languid fat cats enjoying life at the expense of the common citizens. Send them home. They can take private security at their own expense BUT to operate under the law of the land. Annulling gun licenses is another tough measure that will take a mountain of faith and strength to implement. Good luck. However, please protect the small landowners from the 'qabza mafia.' In the health sector, the measures planned will receive opposition from the powerful multinationals and do not flip flop because they require the business of 180 million people. Salams
First commendable measure, good job
Honorable Interior Minister! Please be balanced and not otherwise and correct me if I am wrong. Your leader Mian Nawaz Sharif had been provided with bullet proof cars and full brigade not just a platoon of security officers cum staff as Opposition Leader despite the fact that he was not not MNA before becoming PM for 3rd time but now as per your instructions OL is omitted and high security protection is limited to President + PM and CJP. Under what pretext Mian had been protected alike or for that matter how OL cannot be given same like security protection. By the way, how much and what level of security you have as Minister Interior? Please ensure that lives of all those who live or visit (like me) are safe rather than limiting to just 3 top guns. Thanks in anticipation. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait / iqbalhadizaidi.formerdiplomat@hotmail.com
One step in the right direction I like this. Allah Bless Pakistan
Arms license : Government can not control illegal arms Now it is on to discourage and create nuiscense through its unpleasant bureacrative offices for those in posession of legal arms. Not Good !
Arms license - you can not control illegal arms and now make it difficult and full of nuisence for those who keep legal arms. Disappointing.
Watching Imran Khan's address in the NA and the measures that the new government is taking gives me some hope for our future.
It seems like there's a rebirth of nationalism is Pakistan. The government and opposition are moving forward in the best interests of the nation rather than to achieve their own political agendas, as it has been in the past. Best of luck to you Mian sabh and to the new PML-N government as a whole, from an avid PTI supporter.
Great news. I applaud you Sir. Taking away guns is the News. All those issued licenses since the fall of East Pakistan should be scrutinized and most of them, especially prohibited bore, be revoked as ZAB's PPP issued hundreds of bogus gun licenses at that time and this culture started. Before ZAB no one, not even a senior bureaucrat or a Minister could get a gun license let alone prohibited bore. Do this asap to get guns out of the hands of criminals and off the streets. Secondly, anyone displaying guns or firing in the air, should be promptly arrested, charged and sent to jail a minimum of 10 years without reprieve. Thirdly, everyone in the country should get the same level of police protection, including Ministers whose guards posted outside their home should be withdrawn. If ministers are afraid of being popped then they can resign and stay at home. Fourthly, computerize all FIRs so that they cannot be tampered with later and all investigations be promptly posted on Police Station computers so that others in far flung areas may be able to track criminals and fugitives on the run. Finally, please make sure that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE can access, assist or receive passengers at Airport Arrivals and Departures. Pakistan looks like a joke when arriving on an international flights and sees scores of passengers proceeding without FIA Passport and Customs checks or breaking lines to be accommodated. This culture must die now. Thank you ET for posting this.
Good first step by Chaudhry Nisar. How can you protect civilians from criminals when majority of Civilian Armed Forces are pulled away as personal guards by all the government elite. I have personally seen that a small provincial parliamentarian has huge number of police and vehicles waiting for the arrival of this "Public Servant" Monarch at the airport, making other civilians life miserable and treat them like rubbish. No wonder crooks and criminals feel secure committing crimes in daylight. Now we have to see if Chaudhry Nisar words are just for media or rhetoric.
Ban on armed licenses? It's not going to work in Pakistan! You'd leave all small scale agriculturists at the mercy of land grabbing mafia. Bearing fire arms is a necessity in Pakistan considering how weak the law enforcement is fore crying out loud.