LAHORE: In a bid to expand operational services to the optimum level, the Punjab government has approved three more battalions for the Special Protection Unit (SPU) of Punjab police, Dawn learnt on Friday.

One battalion consists of nearly 1,800 personnel comprising serving and retired police and army officials.

Currently, the SPU comprised three battalions created in Oct 2014 as a dedicated unit for the security of foreigners working on different projects across the province. Each battalion costs Rs1.2 billion, including salary/allowances, equipment, arms, uniform, petrol and other expenses.

Youth to be hired; services expanded to mega events, railway tracks, motorways

Originally, the SPU was meant for Chinese and other foreigners working on major projects in Punjab. Its supposed success led the Punjab government to expand its services.

“To materialise this scheme, the Punjab government has approved three more battalions for the dedicated unit,” SPU Director/Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Faisal Rana told Dawn on Friday.

Presently, he said, 14,000 Chinese and foreigners were working on various projects all over the province. The protection of premises and important persons notified by provincial police officer (PPO), the persons on high risk as notified by the Punjab government or the PPO also falls in the ambit of the unit as per SPU Act 2016.

He said initially some 3,336 security constables, 187 drivers, 20 wireless operators, 244 former army personnel of the senior security constable to chief security officer rank and seven former army officers of the additional director and deputy director rank had been recruited in the SPU.

“The SPU officials and attached personnel from districts were providing foolproof security day and night to the Chinese working on four China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and 27 non-CPEC projects in Punjab,” the DIG said.

“Now, the Punjab government has decided to restructure the SPU by recruiting young blood, injecting more funds to avail its services in other plans,” he said.

According to the future strategy, the SPU will provide security to any mega government event/ programme such as international cricket matches or expo events.

“For the purpose, the SPU is undergoing massive restructuring as many positions are either being abolished or created to meet future requirements,” the DIG said.

He said the approval of three more battalions for the SPU was part of the restructuring and in the next phase the police department planned to hire services of Pakistan Army for the training of newly hired personnel of the unit. The newly hired force would be deployed for the security of important persons, those at high risk and/or foreigners at static, residential, workplace and on-the-move positions.

“We have also included roving projects in the ambit of the SPU, including motorways, railway tracks and big transmission lines,” the SPU director said.

Under the future strategy, he said, a new service structure had also been provided for the upcoming force. The age limit for a constable-rank employee shall be 18 to 20 years, he said, adding that the person shall work for the unit for a mandatory period of at least 10 years. At the end of this period, it would be optional for him/her to continue with the SPU or leave for any other department. If they wish to continue with the unit, they would be retired at 42 years of age.

About the organisational structure of the unit, he said, a senior superintendent of police-ranked officer of Grade 18-19 would work as additional director of the unit, senior superintendent of police as deputy director, deputy superintendent of police as assistant director and inspector as chief security officer.

Rana said that restructuring of the SPU was likely to be completed in a few months.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2017