Security concerns: New vehicles, jammers for VVIPs/VIP cavalcades on the cards

‘Vehicles being used in security convoys are obsolete...new ones are needed’.

LAHORE: The chief minister recently approved the purchase of three vehicles equipped with cell-phone signal jamming technology for use in security convoys of VIPs/VVIPs.  Of the three vehicles, one each will be assigned with the security protocol of the president, prime minister, the chief justice of Pakistan and the chief minister.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had approved the purchase in a meeting held on February 25, according to a document available with The Express Tribune.

The approval comes in spite of a policy that purchase of vehicles by any department would be undertaken only if a justification was available for it. The only exemptions were ambulances for hospitals and school buses. The document carrying details of the meeting carries no justification other than providing enhanced security to VVIPs/VIPs.

Punjab Police Spokesperson Nabila Ghazanfar said the vehicles used in the security cavalcade for VIPs/VVIPs had become obsolete and there was an urgent need to procure new vehicles equipped with the latest security gadgets and a jammer system. She said they had asked for funds to procure nine jammers to be installed in three vehicles.

The document states that the Finance secretary was requested by the Inspector General of the Police (in the first week of March) to allow advance payment of Rs195 million out of the Rs224.157 allocated for the vehicles so that the procurement could take place on time.

The government had earlier set aside funds for the purpose in October 2013.

However, the plan was shelved at that time.

According to the document, each vehicle would be equipped with three jammers, each worth Rs21.645 million. The jammers will be capable of blocking cellular, satellite, very high frequency/ultra high frequency and wireless internet signals.

Currently, the Punjab Police has six vehicles for security duties with the VVIPs. These were purchased between 2005 and 2008. A senior police official said that none of the existing vehicles were equipped with cell phone signal jamming technology.

According to official records available with The Express Tribune, the provincial government has spent Rs496.353 million between 2011 and 2013 on purchase of security equipment for the offices and residences of the prime minister, the chief minister and the Punjab governor in the province.

Of these, gadgets worth Rs82.3 million were installed at the various offices of the chief minister, Governor’s House and the Punjab Assembly.

Another Rs12 million was spent on security equipment for the chief minister’s residence in Jati Umra Raiwind after a secretariat was set up there.

Equipment worth Rs11.5 million was installed at former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani’s residence in the Defence Housing Authority and Rs7 million at the Governor’s House when Sardar Latif Ahmed Khosa was in office.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2015.