PTI to campaign against ‘VIP security’ after Eid

KARACHI: 

Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf Karachi wing has decided to put an end to special security provisions given to ‘VIPs’ by launching a campaign to make the public aware of the expenses incurred on this culture, sources claimed.

PTI Karachi demanded that these police officers should be protecting the lives and properties of residents of Karachi, not just a ‘selected few’.

In a media talk held on Friday, PTI Karachi chapter president Ali Zaidi referred to a recent report, which stated that 155 police mobile vans and 4,000 Sindh police personnel were performing security duties for the VIPs and were guarding their residences even when these VIPs were travelling abroad.

According to a report released by Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat), the total police force of Karachi is 26,504 officers – a ratio of one police officer to 850 residents. This ratio is pathetic when compared to Lahore, which stands at one to 335, and New Delhi, which is at one to 290.

“We demand that VIP security duty should be ended or, at least, as per our proposal in our pre-budget press conference last month, it should be paid for by the ones receiving this service and not the taxpayers of this province,” said Zaidi.