Police escort: 'Disclose details of security given to Faryal Talpur'

Division bench also asked provincial authorities to place on record number of police vans employed for their security

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the Sindh government on Wednesday to disclose the details of police escort provided to ex-ministers, including Faryal Talpur, sister of Pakistan Peoples Party's co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, and their entitlement as per law.

"In case no ex-minister is entitled to security, then all of them should be treated equally through a uniform policy," instructed the two judges hearing the plea of former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, who has accused the provincial authorities of withdrawing his security allegedly at the behest of Zardari.

Headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, a division bench also asked the provincial authorities to place on record the number of police vans employed for their security. The bench issued these directives while announcing its order which was reserved on Tuesday, after hearing the contempt application against the provincial home secretary, the police chief and his subordinates.

Mirza, a disgruntled PPP leader, had moved the court against withdrawal of police constables posted for his and his wife, former speaker Fehmida Mirz's security. On April 21, Badin SSP Khalid Mustafa Korai and his line officer, Ashiq Ali Memon, tried to remove police guards from his Badin residence, his lawyer claimed.

On the same day, Karachi security SSP Usman Bajwa had also called back the security guards from the petitioner's residence in Karachi, apparently, according to the lawyer, on the directions of the provincial government, which received verbal directives from Zardari and Talpur.

Mirza claimed that he had spoken to the media about corruption in the Sindh government and the PPP leadership, leading the government to withdraw the security guards.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2015.