Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Monday said if former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is entitled to state security then hee should be provided the same "We don't want to endanger life of anyone who has been provided with state security but at least people who are not entitled to it should not be provided state security," the Chief Justice remarked. "Even if Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] is entitled to state security, it should be provided," he added.
The Chief Justice heading a three-member bench was hearing a suo motu case regarding state security to people. Hearing a case in the Peshawar Registry he had ordered to withdraw security from non-entitled persons. Justice Saqib said there should be unified criteria for provision of state security, saying security of the people who are entitled to it should not be withdrawn.
The court sought from the federal and the provincial governments a mechanism for the determination of providing state security to the entitled people. The attorney general for Pakistan and advocates general of all four provinces were ordered to devise a mechanism in this regard.
"We don't want to put anyone's life at risk but there should be a proper mechanism for which the federal government and all the provincial governments should devise a plan," the Chief Justice added.
The Chief Justice maintained that the move has been initiated in order to save the resources of the state as well as to protect the tax payers' money, adding Rs1 billion is being spent every year as providing security to people who are not entitled to the said facility. He warned that no security will be provided to the relatives of the ministers or high officials. A police official from the government of Sindh informed the court that it has withdrawn security of 5,005 people. The Chief Justice, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the number.
The additional advocate general, Punjab, told the court that security of people has been withdrawn; however, he sought some time to provide figures in this regard.
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also told the court that a drive is being initiated in this regard.
Similarly, Inspector General Islamabad Sultan Taimuri submitted before the court that in pursuance of the court's order, they have withdrawn 264 security personnel provided to individuals. He further informed the court that a threat assessment committee has been formed to determine how many people had been provided security in violation of the Interior Ministry's directions.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.