ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: The capital is witnessing unique events after the opposition Pakis­tan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government called in the provincial police to help protect the premises of Sindh House.

Sindh House is the domain of the provincial government and as such, is always at its disposal. The same is true for Punjab House, Balochistan House and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House.

But as criticism on the Special Security Unit (SSU) piled up for supposedly providing security to PTI ‘turncoats’, the special unit of the Sindh police on Thursday said its personnel had been sent to the federal capital only to participate in the Pakistan Day parade on March 23.

A spokesman for the SSU claimed, however, that only a handful of personnel were always deployed at the Sindh House in Islamabad, which was the provincial government’s administrative and residential facility in the federal capital.

“It’s nothing new,” he said when asked about the deployment of SSU commandoes at the Sindh House.

“They are always there providing security to the Sindh House throughout the year. But our commandos are in Islamabad only to take part in the Pakistan Day parade. A special contingent of 371 personnel of Sindh police comprising 182 commandos of SSU, 131 personnel of traffic police and other districts of Karachi Range and 58 personnel of Rapid Response Force (RRF) are taking part in the [Pakistan Day] parade.”

In normal circumstances, officials told Dawn that a contingent of 115 Sindh police officials performed duties at the Sindh House whereas around 228 officers and officials were deployed there as of now.

When the capital’s police and administration approached the Sindh House management on the issue, they were told the increase was due to the presence of important personalities and legislators from Sindh.

Officials said local police and administration cannot enter these houses without permission and also cannot conduct a raid there.

They said they were bound to provide vehicles to the personnel deployed at these houses for transportation, if a request is made to the federal government.

Senior police and administration officers further said that normally, it is the government that seeks assistance of police from the provinces for security measures during sit-ins and protests, but this is one of the rare occasions when an opposition party has sought law enforcement help for protection in Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2022