PESHAWAR: The police department has expressed reservations over the decision of provincial government to do away with road blockades and traffic restrictions during VIP movement, according to sources.

The provincial government on December 26 through a notification announced to end undue and extra protocol, unnecessary security routing, traffic restrictions and blocking of public roads during VVIP and VIP visits throughout the province to avoid inconvenience to people.

Sources said that special branch of police department voiced concerns when thin security was provided to President Mamnoon Hussain during his visit to Peshawar on December 30.

An official, requesting anonymity, told this scribe that after the special branch raised its concerns, the police chief wrote a letter to chief minister to form a committee comprising home secretary, representatives of federal interior ministry, establishment department and other departments concerned to look into the security provided to VIPs in the light of blue book.

Official says govt has done away with extra protocol only, not security

He said that in case of not blocking traffic during VVIP or VIP movement, terrorists might be able to strike. “In case of such an eventuality, police department will be blamed for not providing adequate security cover to the VIP,” the official said.

However, relevant officials in civil secretariat said that they were not aware of police’s reservations nor they received the letter. A senior government official told Dawn that protocol and security were two different things.

He said that security aspect was dealt by police and in that regard home department’s acted as a secretariat. The protocol was mostly concerned with providing logistics to visiting VVIPs or VIPs, he added.

“In case of premier’s visit to Peshawar, under protocol, he is provided carriage from provincial government as well sitting arrangements during a function, which is called warrant of precedence,” said the official.

Another official said that Governor House’s demanded a protocol of eight vehicles coverage during President Mamoon Hussain visit to Peshawar, however, it was provided with four instead.

“It is job of police to provide security to VIP s and government has not stopped them from it,” the official said, adding that only undue and extra protocol was abandoned.

He said that many people, who were not even entitled, were provided with the protocol while many others were getting more than their entitlement, so government tried to take corrective measures.

The official said that it didn’t mean that VIPs would not get security, rather, it was tried to do away with extra protocol and unnecessary closure of roads causing trouble to people. “The notification is very clear in this regard. It says that mandatory security to VVIPs and VIPs will be provided in accordance with law and security protocols as usual,” he added.

The official said that the notification issued on December 26 was conveyed to the establishment department on December 24 by the Chief Minister Secretariat, which it notified two days later.

Another official also dismissed the concerns of police, saying no one stopped them from providing security to VIPs as the notification was only aimed at stopping extra and undue protocol and road blockades.

Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, special assistant to chief minister for information and public relations, could not be contacted for his comments.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2016