RAWALPINDI, Jan 25: Top police and interior ministry officials threw their weight behind the creation of a separate motorway police-style "security division" at an estimated cost of Rs200 millions for protection of VVIPs and sensitive installations in Islamabad, a source told Dawn.

The Capital Development Authority has also allotted ten acres of land near the Diplomatic Enclave for the proposed division. However, space for establishing temporary offices is being searched in the capital, the source said and added that the division was likely to start functioning some time in February.

The source added that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had agreed to revamp the capital territory police and form a separate independent security system for the protection of VVIPs and sensitive buildings.

In line with the PM's instructions, two sub-committees had been formed and directed to submit a report outlining requirements of the proposed unit. At present, the strength of the ICT police is 5,800, including the traffic police personnel. As many as 1,200 more personnel would be recruited.

Out of the total 7,000 personnel, 4,100 would be reserved for the new unit, the source said, adding that the remaining 2,900 would be deployed for maintaining law and order and controlling traffic.

The proposal has already been sent to prime minister for approval. The security division, having a separate grade 19 police officer (SSP), would be well-equipped, heavily armed and trained. As many as 130 commandos would also be hired from the SSG and the Frontier Corps for the unit.

The police personnel of the security division would be given the same facilities as that of the motorway police, the source said. The unit could be used in emergency situation apart from its routine job.