ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has expressed concern over the “inadequate” security provided to Chairman Imran Khan and sought details of security personnel and expenditure borne by the government on it.

The main opposition party’s Central Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry claimed in a statement that Mr Khan was the most popular leader of the country and he was facing life threats these days, but he was not being provided adequate security by the government.

Rejecting a claim of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Islamabad, that over Rs20 million per month was being spent on the security of Mr Khan, he sought details of the money being spent on Mr Khan’s security and the number of security personnel provided for the purpose.

“Since the imported government came into power, Imran’s life is in danger,” Mr Chaudhry said.

“Like any other citizen of the country, security of Imran Khan is the responsibility of the state,” he said, adding that the Sharifs had spent Rs364 million on the security of their palatial house in Jati Umra.

The PTI leader alleged that the Sharif family and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari had misused the national wealth for their own security while Mr Khan saved millions of rupees in the head of security by living in his own house.

He said many letters had been written to the government and police for the security of Mr Khan, but nothing had been done in this regard.

The PTI leader said that the interior minister should provide details of the security of Mr Khan and expenditure incurred on it.

On Sept 1, Islamabad IGP Dr Akbar Nasir Khan said that the government was spending Rs240 million annually on the security of the PTI chairman.

The information was given at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior which was chaired by PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz.

During the proceedings, IGP Nasir told the committee that besides the two private security companies, 266 personnel from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan police, Frontier Constabulary and Rangers had been deployed for Mr Khan’s security.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2022