Dear reader, online ads enable us to deliver the journalism you value. Please support us by taking a moment to
ISLAMABAD: The capital’s police department has asked the government for a Rs400 million rupee grant to cover expenses expected to be incurred by law enforecement and paramilitary troops during their engagement with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf’s (PTI) planned “siege” of Islamabad, police officials told Dawn on Thursday.
This demand, which has been sent to the interior ministry, only accounts for a 10-day deployment, officials said, adding that additional funds would be required if the sit-in is prolonged.
The letter issued in this regard came from the Central Police Office, and was addressed to the interior ministry by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Nisar Ahmed Khan. Its subject reads: “Request for supplementary grant of Rs460.719 million in connection with tentative long march/dharna of PTI”.
In it, the AIG posits that according to reports, the PTI is planning to shut down the capital on Nov 2 and, according to statements of prominent leaders, they will be looking to assemble a large number of people for the purpose.
The available strength and resources of the capital city’s police department are insufficient to provide security and maintain law and order in Islamabad during the event, the letter states.
The capital’s police department has already requested an additional deployment of 25,000 personnel and arrangements in this regard are being made with help from the concerned authorities in Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the Frontier Constabulary (FC).
So far, officials said, 14,000 personnel had been arranged from the FC, Punjab and Azad Kashmir police.
Similarly, the capital city’s administration, in response to the police request, has asked that the community centres in sectors G-6 and G-9, the Hajj Complex and the Sports Complex be provided to lodge the additional manpower that will be summoned to the capital.
Funds will be required for the force summoned to Islamabad for expenses such as transportation, meals, placing of containers and roadblocks along with other related requirements, sources said.
In addition, the police department has complained about the non-payment of funds to the tune of Rs51 million, which were spent the last time the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek staged a dharna on Constitution Avenue in 2014.
“It is pointed out that a liability of Rs53.319 million relating to previous dharna/protest is also outstanding/payable [to] Islamabad police, for which funds have already been demanded,” the letter reads.
It breaks down the expected costs under various heads. It asks for Rs10.7 million in terms of rent for residential buildings, Rs18.56 million for fuel charges, Rs1 million for stationery, Rs64.2 million for hiring vehicles, Rs5 million for miscellaneous expenses, Rs93 million for food and Rs 268.3million for other expenditures.
The letter asks that the interior ministry approach the finance ministry for the provision of additional funds through a supplementary grant of Rs460 million, along with an advance amount of Rs50 million.
Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2016
Comments (21) Closed
Rs 400 million is money well spent on a good cause.
Better than the Rs 700 million of public money spent by PM on building walls around Raiwind Palace.
Rs 400 million should be deducted from the looted money in offshore accounts, they don't even have to sell London Palaces for it.
Rs 400 million is better to spend rather than to keep corrupt government in the power.
One thing that is good for the economy from the Dharnas is that the catering business do very well Briyani and Qorma everyday.
And what about the money spent as security of all these ministers and goons by capital police ?? Divert that money !
Arrest is better and economical option.
Rs400 million, to uncover several billions!? Money well spent, and a bargain!
IK should be forced to pay this cost and last dharna cost as well from his pocket. Public money shouldn't be wasted in this manner. This man has no respect for rights of common citizens of Pakistan.
Yep; NS should have come clean much earlier on. It is his stubbornness that is causing this much loss. Don't put blame of the loss on those who are seeking justice and truth. It rests 200% with those who are refusing to own up their crimes.
@jawaid Totally agree. IK is just embarrassment and misleading his followers.
@Khan - "walls around Raiwind Palace"
You mean a prison of his own making!? When you have looted the public, you surely need protection from their wrath, and will always be afraid.
We need to learn to protest in a healthy non-detrimental way to our economy. Nothing should come in the way of development and our economy. This should apply to all political parties and Pakistanis in general. We need some work on ourselves as a people!
It wouldn't be necessary to deploy so much police and incur such expense, if NS was forthcoming and had offered to submit to any inquiry -- if he had nothing to hid. IK and his supporters around the country were left with no other option but to take to the streets to seek answers.
It should be billed to IK
and how much Nawaz Sharif and Zardari has costed to the country?
Nawaz and Co. can easily avoid this cost by publicly stating we are ready for any accountability whatsoever and IK would have no choice but abandon coming out on streets. hence saving Pak 400million, but would they? Everybody knows the truth. IK will inshaAllah be victorious.
Protesters should pay this money , whenever such activities happen, expenses should be recovered from organizers of protesters. Almost everyday there are certain protests in the country ,protesters burn tyres , blocked the roads ,vandalizing vehicles and properties, create so much inconvenience. But law and order maintaining agencies never took any action against such protesters.
Police dare not stop Imran Khan and people supporting November 2nd protest as this is not about PTI. This for the survival of Pakistan. Corruption has become a threat to our national security.
What's da fuss...The best FM of South Asia can easily get a loan from IMF..
'PM spends 4 million on foreign tour' PTI supporters : OMG hes bankrupting the nation. Thief. Corrupt. etc etc.
'Police deployment for PTI protest may cost over Rs400m' PTI supporters : Never has there been a better allocation of funds.
Quite laughable really.
Why do you need so much Police ?
These guys are doing a peaceful protest, not a clash.