Daily Times

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Islamabad Inspector General of Police to restore the lawful security of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan ordered this while hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the security protocol of personnel with no official entitlement.

The chief justice noted that the court does not want to put the life of anyone in danger, and directed all the provinces to devise within a week a mechanism to determine who should be entitled to the state security.

Justifying the suo motu action over the matter, the chief justice noted that the action was taken to save the resources of the state, however it was being criticized in the media that lives of the people had been put at risk. He also expressed dissatisfaction over the number of persons provided by the Sindh government from whom the security was withdrawn.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan noted that over Rs 1 billion per year from the national exchequer were being spent on providing security to the non-entitled persons. “Those who are entitled to security should be provided with it,” the chief justice said, adding that security should be provided to Nawaz Sharif for which he is entitled to being a former prime minister. He, however, noted that the law must be taken into account while determining that who is entitled for the security. He said the court would look whether relatives of ministers were being provided official security illegally.

The chief justice said another matter pertaining to misuse of government vehicles would also be looked into. During the hearing, IGP Islamabad Dr Sultan Azam Taimuri, who appeared on notice, apprised the court that security provided to 264 individuals had been withdrawn after the Supreme Court’s order.

Besides, he said, a threat assessment committee had been formed to determine how many people had been provided security in violation of the interior ministry’s directions. The court also directed to ascertain whether Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan had been provided with security escorts.

The hearing was later adjourned for a week.

The chief justice had recently taken notice of unlawful security protocols and directed the IGP Islamabad and all the four provinces to take back security escorts from people who were not entitled to it. According to reports, around 13,000 police officials were called back from their respective security duties after the SC orders.

Published in Daily Times, April 24^th 2018.