PM’s security breached
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ISLAMABAD: Security of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was breached on Sunday when he, along with his family, was returning to the federal capital from Murree.
Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said a white Prado jeep entered the PM’s squad and came close to his vehicle in Malpur area but security personnel stopped it and took its driver into custody. Vehicles in the PM squad escaped collision with the unexpected interception.
Islamabad Police spokesman Mohammad Naeem told Dawn that a retired officer of the Pakistan Air Force, who at present is serving with the Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, was driving the jeep.
He said preliminary investigation revealed that the man had erred into the PM’s squad.
A senior official at the IGP’s office said there was no attempt to attack the PM. “The retired PAF officer was travelling with his family and it is believed that he entered the PM’s squad unintentionally,” he said.
The official said the road at Malpur was quite narrow and the incident took place when it was raining in the area and other vehicles were also moving on the PM’s route.
Police said the jeep driver was allowed to go after questioning.
Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2015
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Comments (37) Closed
Aug 03, 2015 07:10am
When will be the time when prime minister will leave his royal habits.it is better that he should spent maximum time in pm house at Islamabad. In case he is not interested,there are many people interested to inhabitants the house. This also causes problem for other road users and the way pm staff /protocol deals with other road users,it create Watergate for the PM.
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Aug 03, 2015 07:13am
Will you please get rid of these rickety trucks these police use? Pathetic.
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Aug 03, 2015 08:08am
@Blue Saffron are we not paying enough in our taxes for their protocols already? What do you want kid, Range Rovers to escort the PM? People like you amaze me.
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Aug 03, 2015 08:12am
The way common man is treated by VIP MOTORCADE is pathetic.The police and other forces behave as if the common man has no right to come on road when VIPs are traveling.They start harassing the the driver by horns and flashing light and often with bad language.This disgusting behavior must be discouraged.
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Aug 03, 2015 08:24am
This country will not improve unless the VIP culture is abandoned completely. Nawaz Shareef is just a mediocre human being why does he pretend to be a VIP?
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Aug 03, 2015 08:29am
@Dr Khan Agree with you completely Dr Khan. On one side, the so called VVIPs are trumpeting hollow slogans of giving equal rights to the common man but their actions belie their words
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Aug 03, 2015 08:33am
I travel everyday on Murree Expressway and whenever there is a visit to Murree by our Highness they deploy thousands of armed personnel along the route. They have to wait for hours for the Highness to pass by. What a waste? I have accidentally once entered into the Highness 30 vehicles Tour de Murree the officer on the bike smashed his hand against my car so hard that car body was dented and I nearly crashed my car in the barrier with my young family. What is he doing in Murree all the time doesn't he has work to do? Hypocrites
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Aug 03, 2015 08:34am
@Dr Khan very well said...totally agree. ..this vip culture shoud be changed...
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Aug 03, 2015 08:44am
So much for the discipline of an Air Force officer. Would he date to do if it was his own Air Chief!!!
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Aug 03, 2015 08:59am
actually who is PM he just public servant( meaning to serve for public) ...!! then why they same public as criminals if he passing PM route..!! they forgot that same public can throw them out if they violates in next election...!!!
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Aug 03, 2015 09:01am
This country can't progress with all these protocols how much tax money is wasted time to abandon these
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Aug 03, 2015 09:12am
How dare he travel alongside our honorable PM
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Aug 03, 2015 09:16am
very soon Ch.Nisar will blame MQM and AH,and will write letter to British G ovt..
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Aug 03, 2015 09:21am
I am honesty tired of these VIP protocols. They are waste of money at a time when people are dying of food shortages and floods in the country.
These politicians should be ashamed.
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Aug 03, 2015 09:21am
@DrTK He's a PM of Pakistan - have some level of sanity to realize that we are in a state of war, and how many times our leaders have been attacked. Recall BB? Musharraf?
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Aug 03, 2015 09:35am
@Semab .... My grandmother who hailed from Rawalpindi always spoke about how beautiful Murree cantonment was. The family would always spend vacations there as my grandfather was serving with the British Royal Air Force.
Coming back to the point about VIP movement , In India for VVIP movements, more and more helicopters are being deployed in New Delhi and other major cities.
It saves time for the PM , saves wasteful cost towards security arrangements en route and also avoids causing traffic jams and public nuisance.
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Aug 03, 2015 09:35am
Unless the VIP culture is abandoned, no equality would be seen in the future. The time I heard this news, this reminded me of David Cameron. Sigh
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Aug 03, 2015 09:36am
Why does the PM fear for security when he calls him self elected by the people?
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Aug 03, 2015 09:39am
Why do we waste so much money on protecting the Public servants??? A person who needs protection from his/her own people doesn't deserve to rule (agree with @commonman - term to use should be SERVE) - we should elect people who like to serve not rule.
Recently Parliamentary Speaker in Australia (Bronwyn Bishop) resigned for mis-using tax payers money through her extravagant travelling (Helicopter ride to attend a fund raising event as she was getting late). And we waste so much money protecting our public servants instead of using it to actually serve the people.
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Aug 03, 2015 09:55am
I really hate these VIP protocols, it makes me very angry. Sometimes when I am driving I don't want to give way to these Machiavellians. I think we people must come up with a way to show our disgust to such acts of arrogance and selfishness. One way is to just to block traffic. When ever there is a motorcade of VIPs every one just stop in the middle of the road. This to show our hatred for there acts. These pompous and self-centred people don't know the meaning of modesty and humbleness.
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Aug 03, 2015 10:06am
And then we call for an eradication of VVIP culture. There are two Pakistans, one where honest people live and the other where these corrupt and moral less leaders and their puppets live.
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Aug 03, 2015 10:33am
It was a severe security breach and those who let that vehicle should be questioned.
Also please mind that it is not security protocol for Mr. Nawaz Sharif and family rather it is for PM of Pakistan and its Family.
Those who oppose protocol should mind that in a country like our where terrorism is at its peak, we need security protocols for our VIP executives. It is demand of the positions they hold and not the persons.
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Aug 03, 2015 10:40am
Many of you good folks fail to understand that Nawaz Sharif(whether you like it or not) is the PRIME MINISTER of this country and this country is in state of war for many years now. Being the Prime minister he is the prime target of the terrorists.
Now repeat these sentences aloud until you understand them.
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Aug 03, 2015 10:51am
Pathetic Indeed. VIP culture has badly affected common Pakistanis traveling on roads. There are traffic jams for hours in order to clear roads for so called leaders who are doing nothing good for Pakistan. The way police maltreat common and infact more respectable citizens of Pakistan is lamentable. We can't progress as a nation until we discourage this practice and proper equal rights are given to all Pakistanis.
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Aug 03, 2015 10:51am
Prado or jeep ?
i wonder
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Aug 03, 2015 11:13am
@Dr Khan I am sorry to read your comment. There have been too many murders of elected people. There is no way to tell that any intrusion is accidental. Security for elected people is primary and an inconvenience to protect leaders must be tolerated.
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Aug 03, 2015 11:22am
People's memories are so short lived. How many elected officials starting with the first Prime Minister Liaqat Ali have been assassinated in cold blood and murderers absconding. The Security has no way of determining who is accidentally too close to the PM and who may have violent designs. The violence in Peshawar school should send sobering thoughts to all that there is still no end in sight.
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Aug 03, 2015 12:03pm
@Dr Khan this is price one pay for electing corrupt to rule them
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Aug 03, 2015 12:20pm
Irrelevant comments as if this is safe country and PM needs no security. Minimum SOP have to be observed . PM did not close road for other travelers that should be appreciated.
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Aug 03, 2015 12:46pm
@N inconvenience to protect leaders can be tolerated if they are true leaders of Pakistan. Looters of national assets and resources can never be leaders. In 99.9% cases of terrorist incidents local Pakistanis are killed not VVIPs.
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Aug 03, 2015 01:00pm
What if the erred driver was a common man?
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Aug 03, 2015 01:29pm
Poor people are dying in flood in almost every part of the country & PM along with his family is holidaying in Murree ? what does PM expects from a common people, flowers ?
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Aug 03, 2015 01:56pm
It is better to use helicopter rather to insult, humiliate and then to arrest their fellow countrymen. Dear Pakistani, brothers and sisters please respect your King of the King and do not try to disturb my 55 vehicle police security convoy.
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Aug 03, 2015 02:13pm
PM and his wife should travel in a helicopter when traveling short distances like from PM house to Murree or to the Islamabad Airport. The PM and the first lady need and deserves security. Any other members of his family or of his entourage of friends need to travel as normal citizens by road without special security and without protocol to reduce government expenses as well as to reduce inconvenience to the public
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Aug 03, 2015 03:05pm
Unfortunately Pakistan has totally irresponsible media. first it was reported that Vehicle reg. is bogus and great issue was created from small mistake.
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Aug 03, 2015 05:16pm
With all due respect to all the Pakistani citizens who are inconvenienced by his motorcade, please do remember that the security of the Prime minister is vital. It is cheaper to provide security than to replace a PM due to issues with security breaches!
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Aug 03, 2015 05:18pm
Today the world has changed a lot since the good old peaceful days. The PM, whether we like him/her or not, must be carefully protected. It is NOT possible to confine the PM in the PM house.
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