RAWALPINDI: Salaries of a large number of police officials, who had been performing security duties with unauthorised individuals and did not report back to the police department, have been stopped. They may also face departmental action.

Over 200 police officials were called back from the security duty on the directions of the chief justice of Pakistan last week.

According to police sources, 20pc of such police officials have not reported back to the department so far.

20pc of over 200 police officials called back from security duty of unauthorised individuals have not reported back to their dept

When contacted, a senior police officer confirmed to Dawn that salaries of the police officials had been stopped.

On the other hand, regional and city police officers along with intelligence officials held a meeting with the commissioner of Rawalpindi on Tuesday to review security of the unauthorised individuals in the backdrop of the SC’s directives to withdraw the police personnel from them.

“Security of such individuals who had been facing threats is being reviewed in addition to the security arrangements in the Rawalpindi division in the wake of the bombing in Quetta on Tuesday,” said a police official.

Besides 13 local politicians, seven retired senior police officers and 11 others posted out of the Rawalpindi district had been keeping police guards with them. Among the seven retired police officials were two IGPs, one additional IG and three DIGs.

In addition, Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem and Awami Muslim League president Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had been using one police vehicle each. Sheikh Rashid was keeping eight and Sardar Naseem four police guards.

Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer was keeping five police guards while four police guards were deployed with MPA Chaudhry Sher Ali.

As many as 21 Elite Force commandos (18 constables and three head constables) with two vehicles had been deployed at the residence of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while three Elite Force personnel were deployed with former MNA Hanif Abbasi with one police vehicle and a driver.

A list compiled by the district police showed that the director general Intelligence Bureau was also keeping eight police officials along with a police vehicle while the chairman of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Wah was keeping seven police guards.

One police guard had also been deployed with Raja Mohammad Yaqoob, a complainant against Taji Khokhar in his wife’s murder case. A police guard had also been deployed with his lawyer. The director of the Anti-Corruption Establishment and a human rights activist had also been using one police guard each.

The Supreme Court on Monday observed that laws or rules be developed to provide police security to those who were at a high risk and deserved security for facing life threats.

District and divisional intelligence committees working in Punjab will submit their reports to the home department regarding the requirement of police security for individuals facing genuine terror threats and recommendations about the required police personnel.

After reviewing the recommendations of the committees, the home department will decide whether an individual would be provided police security or not. However, such individual can hire extra security guards on payment.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2018