VIP security taking up more than its due

Almost half of Elite Force, Mujahid Squad working with VIPs, despite a separate Flying Squad.

LAHORE: Almost half the 3,000 officials of the Mujahid (or Mobile) Squad and the Elite Force are currently deployed for the security of very important personalities (VIPs) in the city, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Of the 1,100 Elite Force officials, around 800 are performing security duties with VIPs. This is a violation of its Standard Operating Procedures, which specify that “it is a branch of the Punjab Police specialising in anti-terrorism operations”.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Superintendent of Police (Mobile) Muntazir Mehdi said that people should not attach a negative connotation with the term VIP. “VIPs are influential people. Their safety is a priority,” he said.

There are about 60 vehicles each with the Elite Force and the Mujahid Squad, of which 30 Elite Force and 40 Mujahid Squad vehicles are being used for VIPs’ security.

The Mujahid Squad was established to respond to emergency calls. With 40 vehicles working for the security of VIPs, the squad is facing difficulties in emergency response. Of the vehicles available for patrolling, six are stationed at pickets set up across the city, and one each is available to the officials in charge of the six police divisions. Only four or five are left for responding to emergency calls.

Mehdi said that the Mujahid Squad was short on staff because so many officials were serving with VIPs.

He said that to cover the shortage they were trying to build capacity by training officials. He said that more than 200 Mujahid Squad officials had already been sent on a training programme designed for the Elite Force.

Mehdi said that the department was improving its emergency response system, which was damaged in a bomb blast on May 27, 2009. He said they were setting up a new 15 call centre with 30 operators to handle calls more efficiently. This would bring the number of operators to 50. The new facility would have a computerised system to respond to emergency calls, he said.

He said that the large number of prank calls was affecting the performance of the emergency response team. About 90 per cent of the calls received are bogus, he said.

Superintendent of Police (Security) Faisal Rana said that the VIPs should lead by example and reduce the number of officials charged with their security to a minimum. He said that the department was trying to equip the officials with the latest weapons, besides installing CCTV cameras in sensitive places in the city to enhance security.

An 800-strong separate Flying Squad is already dedicated to VIP security. When asked why there was a need to divert officials and resources from the Elite Force and the Mujahid Squad, he said that there was a real threat to VIPs. Of course, he added, that did not mean the security of other citizens could be ignored.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2010.