Militant threats: PTI requests better security for Imran Khan

PTI claims that Imran Khan's security detail has shrunk to just one policeman at his gate in recent days.

ISLAMABAD: With Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan receiving threats for backing the faltering polio vaccination campaign in the militancy hit regions of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, his party has requested the government to boost his security.

Imran, who is also a member of the national assembly, is liable to receive security protocol. But according to a letter to the Interior Minister, his party claims that the MNA from NA-56, has been given only one policeman by the state for his security.

According to the letter signed by PTI secretary general Jahangir Tareen, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the party claimed that Imran’s state provided security had always been modest. However, it claimed that in recent days the security detail had shrunk to just one policeman at his gate.

The letter requested the government to insure full scale security measures for Imran, including “both at his residence as well as when he is moving about.”

“The security should be commensurate with his status as the Chairman of Pakistan’s second largest party by votes, the third largest by number of seats in Parliament and the level of the security threat such leaders are subject to.”

On Thursday, the PTI claimed that their chairman had been threatened by militants for criticising attacks on polio vaccination teams.

“Mr Khan received a threat from Ansarul Mujahideen over his remarks over anti-polio campaign,” Shireen Mazari, a senior member of PTI told AFP.