Former IGP seeks restoration of withdrawn security

Former inspector general of police (IGP) Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera, who is currently serving as the Federal Tax Ombudsman, has challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) a notification through which his security protocol was withdrawn. The former IGP implored the court that he had rendered unparalleled service in the field of counter-terrorism. "In early 2013, frequent incidents of terrorism severely impacted the security and law and order situation of Balochistan, which led to the police force becoming dysfunctional, particularly in Quetta." It was under these circumstances that he was picked to head the provincial police of Balochistan, he added. LHC throws out NAB appeal in Ramzan mills case Sukhera contended that he took charge of a highly demoralised police force but in a short span of time, organised, trained, and established the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Anti-Terrorism Force Specialised School with the acquisition of necessary equipment and logistic resources. Consequently, terrorists directly targeted the petitioner thrice with suicide attacks. In one such attack, the IGP House of Balochistan was hit with an explosives-laden truck. However, he remained safe. During his tenure as IGP Punjab, many counter-terrorism operations were conducted in which topmost terrorists were either eliminated or arrested, Sukhera stated. He expressed fear that the terrorist organisations were still on the lookout to take revenge from him. Following his services in the domain of counter-terrorism, the government of Punjab, after assessing the threat perception and security need of the petitioner and his family, issued directives for providing befitting security to him, he said. The petitioner received round-the-clock security of 17 men in shifts. The security personnel were aided by escort and bulletproof vehicles. Later, the security personnel's strength was reduced to 12. This fact was mentioned in a report submitted by the federal government to the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) in a suo motu case in 2018. The court had taken notice of deployment of police on security duty for people not entitled to such arrangements. The IGPs of the four provinces also submitted their reports with regard to security personnel deployed for people who were not qualified the facility. Punjab’s authorities submitted reports on April 20 and April 29, 2018, showing the number of personnel deputed for security duty and those withdrawn therefrom on account of lack of justification. The petitioner contended that the policy shared by Punjab government and the security granted to various personnel, including him, had thus acquired the force of the acceptance of the country’s top court. He contested the authority of the current IGP to change the level of security. Only the home department could amend the policy in the light of the overall security situation at the provincial level, he added. He said the IGP had issued an order on November 13, 2020, withdrawing his security sanctioned by the SC. The petitioner said he had written a letter to the respondent, pointing out that order of withdrawal of security was also against the privileges of his office of tax ombudsman. Sukhera prayed the court to order restoration of the security as stipulated in the report submitted before the Supreme Court in 2018, including police personnel and a bulletproof jeep. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2021.

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