Police personnel from provinces barred from carrying arms in Islamabad during VIP escorts

ISLAMABAD: The capital police have barred provincial police personnel deployed in Islamabad on various duties from carrying weapons without its permission, Dawn has learnt.

The police of provinces posted at the Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and KP houses will only be allowed to carry weapons after getting permission and in this regard they had been asked to contact the Security Division of Islamabad police.

The capital police will provide facilities to guide and protect the provincial chief ministers and governors, the police said, adding all official and non-official persons coming to Islamabad will bring security personnel with them in one vehicle only.

All ministers, members of parliament and officials are requested to cooperate with the Islamabad police as per the proposed procedure, adding there will be a complete ban on display of weapons.

The Islamabad police are taking steps to prevent display of weapons and unnecessary protocol, the police said, adding due to the commencement of the new parliamentary year and other important events being held in Islamabad, the proposed procedure has been rescheduled.

Talking to Dawn, police officers said these steps would create a rift between the federal and KP government and officials. Besides, it is also a violation of protocol and security measures for VIPs.

As per the Blue Book, governors, chief ministers and provincial cabinet members are included in the list of VIPs, the officers said, adding security has to be provided to VIPs mentioned in the Blue Book, and it cannot be withdrawn under the executive and government’s directions.

There is a security protocol for chief ministers and their cabinet members in which they have also a security squad, comprising provincial police officers and officials, and move along with them wherever they go in the capital.

The local police join their security squad and move along with them in their limits. There is a ban over the entry of security persons in the installations like parliament, they said. However, as per the security protocol the chief ministers and cabinet members’ security personnel cannot be restricted.

Besides, security is also given to parliamentarians and officials keeping in view threats to them. The police officials guarding VIPs carry weapons and it cannot be stopped as personnel in uniform are allowed to carry weapons.

Display of weapon inside the Red Zone is completely banned, however, the ban is rarely implemented, the officers said. The provincial police deployed at the provincial houses cannot be disarmed through the executive orders as the houses are under the authority of the provinces. However, the local police can ask about the details of the personnel deployed there and arms they carry.

In March 2023, the interior ministry banned the entry of security squad of Gilgit-Baltistan’s chief minister and governor in Islamabad and other provinces, they added.

It may be mentioned that former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari used the Sindh police security squad. The Sindh police were also deployed at the Foreign Office during his tenure.