Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court once again has given a two-week time to the federal and provincial authorities to come up with their respective policy regarding provision of security to political leaders and other citizens.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah adjourned the hearing after the federal and provincial law officers sought time to place on record the policy for providing security to the citizens, including political leaders.

The court was hearing the petition filed by the PPP chairman seeking adequate security and permission to travel in a vehicle with tinted glasses and personal guards.

Bilawal had petitioned the high court seeking directives for the respondent authorities and law enforcement agencies to provide round-the-clock security cover in view of reports regarding serious threats to him.

The PPP’s chairman pleaded the court to direct the authorities to allow him to travel in a vehicle with tinted glasses along with his personal security guards with licensed arms while traveling or addressing public meetings throughout the country.

In the petition, Bilawal submitted that being the chairman of PPP he had to travel throughout the country for not only organising PPP, but also for discharging public duties for the welfare and well-being of the people at large.

He submitted that apart from the fact that his mother Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a public meeting in Rawalpindi, he always had had apprehensions about his personal security as well as about the security of his family members because PPP leaders, including the petitioner, were receiving threats to their lives and properties from extremists and terrorists organisations.

Bilawal, represented by Advocate Akhtar Hussain, said that the law and order situation in the entire country was precarious and it was also evident from various instances of attacks and attempts to the life on different important personalities and some of them have lost their lives.

The counsel submitted that for the purpose of special security measures, the petitioner wanted to travel in a vehicle with tinted glasses along with his personal security guards whenever or wherever he traveled.

The provincial home secretary earlier had informed the judges that the government provides security to common men and especially to those receiving threats from terrorists.

“The politicians and prominent personalities hire services of private security guards. The department had no objection to the provision of security to Bilawal,” he said while adding that the federal and provincial governments are making sincere efforts to improve the law and order situation in the country and in the province under the National Action Plan.