LAHORE: The
Chief Justice
of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Saqib Nisar on Sunday said that the withdrawal of VIP security from unentitled individuals could save up to Rs 1.38 billion.
While heading a two-judge bench hearing the suo moto case against provision of additional security to VIPs, CJP remarked that 4,610 police officers are deployed to provide security to VIP personalities and that the total sum of the
ir monthly salaries is Rs 110 million, while annually, it jumps up to Rs 1.38 billion.
“These expenses do not include the amount spent on fuel, vehicles and other services. The situation would be much different if the amount spent on providing security to unentitled individuals was spent on improving the standards of health and education across the country,” Justice Nisar added.
Earlier on Saturday, thousands of officials deployed on the security of individuals without entitlement were withdrawn after Justice Nisar gave a 24-hour deadline to the inspector generals of all the provinces to implement the withdrawal orders.
In Punjab, security of 1,853 personalities was withdrawn, calling back 4,610 officials. In a report submitted in SC’s Lahore registry on Saturday, Punjab IGP Capt (r) Arif Nawaz revealed that a total of 4,610 police guards had been withdrawn from non-entitled persons.
They include: 297 policemen withdrawn from the security of politicians; 527 withdrawn from civil administrative officers and police officers; 469 withdrawn from judges of lower courts; 54 officials withdrawn from security of media persons and 23 policemen withdrawn from the security of lawyers.
