KARACHI: While common people have been falling prey to the senseless killings taking place in the metropolis, a deep sense of insecurity seems to prevail among several legislators who are increasingly using bulletproof vehicles to ensure their own safety while travelling through the city, it emerged on Monday.
Many prominent legislators belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party, all the services chiefs, the governor, some businessmen and industrialists used bulletproof vehicles, including a few imported ones, sources told Dawn.
According to the sources, most of the private vehicles they use have been modified locally and made bulletproof by a Lahore-based private concern.
Such modifications cost between Rs5 million and Rs6 million.
The vehicles are supported with metal covers having a protection level of B6/B7 — a specification of the armour through which a bullet does not pass.
“The poor state of the law and order in the city has forced us to use bulletproof vehicles as the state has failed to provide security to its citizens,” remarked a businessman requesting anonymity.
Among the prominent legislators who used bulletproof vehicles was former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza, who had two bullet-proof vehicles at his disposal, the sources said.
The incumbent home minister, Manzoor Wassan, is also said to have a bulletproof vehicle for his protection despite the fact that law-enforcement agencies run under his supervision.
Sindh Minister for Local Bodies Agha Siraj Durrani had two bulletproof vehicles, the sources said.
Both Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah and Federal Petroleum Minister had one bulletproof vehicle each, they added.
Apart from the ministers, lawmakers Faryal Talpur and Dr Azra Pechucho also use bulletproof vehicles.
Former finance secretary of Sindh Dr Fazalullah Pechucho was using Benzair Bhutto’s bulletproof vehicle when he was posted here.
The sources said that little known Owais Muzaffar, a member of the Zardari family, also travelled in a bulletproof vehicle.
Besides, the sources said, the chief minister and the governor of Sindh used official bulletproof cars. The same series of bulletproof vehicles were also in the use of the services chiefs.
During a recent Sindh cabinet meeting that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani presided, the then minister Dr Mirza referred to the heightened sense of insecurity among lawmakers when he said he was paying the price of being outspoken by maintaining 300 guards for his and his family’s security.
The fact that many legislators despite having an army of policemen and guards for their personal security were using private bulletproof vehicles lent credence to the ex-minister’s claim.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon doesn’t yet have a bulletproof vehicle for his security but maintains around 25 guards comprising police and frontier constabulary personnel.
The sources said both the former and incumbent home ministers maintained a sizable strength of policemen for their personal security, yet their inmost security cordon comprised their private guards belonging to their native areas.
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