ISLAMABAD: An amount of around Rs6 million was spent by the government daily on the provision of food and transportation to security personnel deployed in the capital in connection with the PTI protest.

A police officer told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that Rs6 million to Rs8 million were spent to provide three-time meal and transportation to the personnel. This also included the rent of private vehicles hired for transportation of the personnel and their fuel.

He said about 19,000 personnel, including 7,000 from the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and 5,000 from the Punjab police, participated in the security duty in and around the capital since October 26.

They were provided breakfast, lunch and dinner either at their duty spots or at the barracks/buildings where they were staying.

The officer said 60pc of the personnel performed 12-hour duty at daytime and the remaining 40pc were on night shift.

As many as 70 vehicles, including wagons, were hired from contractors for the transportation of the policemen and the paramilitary troops to their duty places and back to the buildings where they were staying.

The vehicles were also used to transport the arrested PTI workers to the police stations and jail.

The capital police had sought a grant of Rs460.7 million to meet the expenses. The demand was made to the interior ministry for 10 days only.

Out of the total Rs460.719 million sought by the police, Rs10.7 million were to be utilised on hiring residential buildings, Rs18.5 million for POL (fuel), Rs1 million for stationery, Rs64.1 million for hiring private vehicles and Rs5 million for others (miscellaneous).

Moreover, Rs93 million were to be spent on the provision of food to the personnel and Rs268.3 million on other expenditures.

On the request of the capital police, a contingent of 7,000 personnel of the FC, 5,000 personnel of the Punjab police and 2,000 policemen from Azad Kashmir were brought to the city.

Arrangements were made at the community centres in G-6 and G-9, Haj Complex, Sports Complex and the AIOU campus at Mera Bhaigwal to accommodate the personnel.

The police officer said the amount was most likely to be spent for two more days as the personnel from other areas would stay in the capital till Thursday.

They will start returning to their stations either on Thursday evening or on Friday morning, he added.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2016