ISLAMABAD, May 28: Former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik will retain the official residence in Minister Enclave till June 30.

Sources said that Senator Malik wanted to retain the residence for security reasons as he faced threat to his life from several militant and terrorist outfits. He was a member of PPP government which was dissolved on March 16 after completing its tenure.

The caretakers of the minister’s enclave, however, hold different views.

One of the groups claims that the former minister can retain the residence for two months, while the other says the minister should vacate the residence soon after leaving the office.

In view of this situation when a former minister clings on to the official accommodation, the new ministers will find it difficult to get residence when they will be sworn in by the first week of next month.

Mr Malik, however, said he had the permission of Prime Minster Secretariat. “I am under threat and keeping the fortified official residence,” he added. He said could keep the residence till May 16, and added: “I am not the only member of former cabinet living in the minister’s enclave. There are five others too.”

However, the policemen guarding the enclave said that the former cabinet members had vacated the official residence except for Rehman Malik. Senator Malik further said that he had hired a house on rent and started shifting his belongings there. But the residence in the Minister’s Enclave will remain in his possession till June 30, for which he will pay rent, he added.

Replying to a question, the former minister denied that he had approached any authority, including civil court of Islamabad.

The sources close to the senator said that Mr Malik had hired a house at Embassy Road near the residence of real estate tycoon Riaz Malik and was likely to shift there, where the tycoon enjoys massive security arrangements for the last three years. Reportedly, the utility bills for the last couple of year of the residence of Mr Malik stood at Rs5 million.

Press Secretary to Prime Minster Shafqat Jalil neither denied nor confirmed that Senator Malik had got permission from the Prime Minster Secretariat to keep the residence. Earlier, the security provided to the former minister was withdrawn in March.