'Threat committees' approved to slash 'unbridled' security spending on VIPs: Fawad

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain dislocsed this while briefing the media about the cabinet decisions. Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the meeting.

Fawad said the premier had raised a vital point during the cabinet meeting that the public should be taken into confidence about use of tax money.

He said the prospective threat committees would be to be constituted in ICT, KP, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, adding these committees will individually assess threats and security will be arranged accordingly.

“The excercise will help the government save millions of rupees,” the minister added.

The prime minister, he said, had directed to formulate a new security mechanism in view of such an increase in the security expenditure of VIPs (Very Important Persons). A "Threat Assessment Committee" was being formed to formulate new security system, he added.

The minister quoted the prime minister as saying that the "protection of taxpayers' money is the foremost responsibility of the government and the people should have confidence that their tax money is being used in a judicious manner".

Disclosing a breakdown of the expenditure on “excessive protocols and security duties”, Fawad explained the federal cabinet was on the top with minimum spending on it, while the major quantum of the amount was being spent on the judiciary for security purposes.

"The federal capital police have deployed 762 police personnel for security of the president, the prime minister, ministers, advisers and special assistants while 14 Rangers and FC personnel are also on duty for the purpose."

Fawad informed that a total of Rs700 million were being spent under the aforementioned head. On the contrary, he said 373 police personnel were deployed for security of judges in Islamabad with spending of Rs287m. “Similarly, in Lahore Rs1,137m are being spent on the security of judges”.

He said around Rs1,400 million were being spent, adding that if other provinces were incorporated, the total amount may exceed above Rs1,700m.

Revealing further expenditures, the minister said the Punjab police expenses amounted to Rs446 million. Likewise, Rs300 million were being spent on our former government servants including ex-premiers and presidents.

He said at least 106 police officials, four Rangers personnel and 47 FC men were being used for the security of retired officials with a spending of Rs10.97mn from national exchequer.

He said the attorney general and the law minister will also speak to judiciary on the matter because security of judges was also paramount to the government.

Rules out rigging in AJK polls

Rubbishing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) allegation of 'rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, he said there was no possibility of fraud in the electoral process as the PML-N itself was in government there and had appointed the chief election commissioner.

The PML-N leaders should rather concede their defeat instead of crying foul by holding a press conference at the AJK prime minister's office, he added. At the outset of meeting, Fawad said the cabinet members congratulated Prime Minister Imran Khan over the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) 'remarkable' victory in the AJK elections.

The cabinet appreciated the efforts of federal ministers Ali Amin Gandapur, Murad Saeed, Ali Muhammad Khan, and others in that regard. The victory in AJK elections was, in fact, a manifestation of the people's confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he added.

The minister said the cabinet was given a detailed briefing by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan on the electoral reforms process. He stressed that both the government and the opposition needed to build consensus on important national issues such as holding free, fair and transparent elections, which were vital for national development. Otherwise, the allegations of rigging would continue to be levelled by the losing parties after every election, he added.

He said it was astonishing that when the current opposition leaders got drubbing in the bye-polls, they created a hype of 'rigging' and if, otherwise, they claimed that the PTI government had lost the support of masses. Fawad said the past governments used to misuse the official resources just to defeat the opposition candidates in the bye-elections, and it was only the PTI in the country's history which did not resort to such practice.

He cited his own defeat in the bye-poll held in his constituency (Jhelum) in the past, where the then ruling party's candidate fully misused the government resources. The minister said the government's consultations with the opposition parties on electoral reforms were moving forward.

There was no stalemate and the process would resume soon after the return of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser from Azerbaijan where he along with a parliamentary delegation was attending a trilateral meeting of the speakers of the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey.

He said a detailed report was also presented before the cabinet on the expenses being spent on the protocol of VIPs, including the president, prime minister, cabinet members, governors and chief ministers, and judiciary.

 Advertisement Policy 2021 approved

The minister said the cabinet also gave approval to the Advertisement Policy 2021, which envisaged issuance of ads to digital media as well. Presently, he said, there were no outstanding dues of the media against the Press Information Department (PID).

However, certain media houses had not still paid salaries and other dues to their employees, and the worst affected among them were the technical staff like NLEs and cameramen, he added.

The present government, he said, had taken steps to overcome the problem and necessary legislation would also be done in that regard soon, the minister said. Fawad said the PID had become paperless, whereas advertisements and payment of dues details were now available on its website. He said the cabinet gave approval for the auction of next generation mobile spectrum.

Latest Covid situation

The minister said the cabinet was also briefed on the latest Covid situation in the country. It was informed that so far 650,000 vaccine jabs a day were being administered and the plan was to achieve the target of one million doses per day.

The government, he said, had set the target to get 40 per cent of the population vaccinated by the end of July, "but so far we are behind the target". It had planned to manage 70 per cent of the population vaccinated by the end of the year. He said various big institutions were being asked to make arrangements for vaccination of their employees.

Vaccination had been made mandatory for the employees of government corporations. If the rate of voluntary vaccination did not increase, the government the option to block the mobile SIMs of those not getting jabs, he warned.

Earlier, he said the cabinet offered Fateha for the departed souls of four army personnel and PTI activists martyred on the election day in AJK and also directed for provision of the best possible medical treatment to the injured.

On the occasion, he said the prime minister said justice should be provided to the slain PTI workers' families and the culprits should be brought to book. Responding to a question, he said following the PTI's landslide victory in the AJK elections, Prime Minister Imran Khan would announce the new leadership of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) by the second week of August.

To another question, he said a professional committee comprising bureaucrats would decide about distributing advertisements to the digital media in a transparent manner.

He said the investigations of Noor Muqaddam murder case were continuing in the right direction and the culprits would not escape punishment. The culprits of such heinous crimes had already been punished.

He said Pakistan was the safest country. Such cases occurred in every society, however, the ratio of such crimes in Pakistan was much lower as comparing to other countries.

Efforts were underway to make the county safer and secure, he added. To another question, he said the government had decided to thoroughly investigate the attempted Indian cyber espionage attacks on mobile phones and gadgets of its top officials, and the findings would be shared with the United Nations, which hopefully would take action over it.

Focus on investment

Fawad said the government had also decided that the Investment Board would be empowered to do away with outdated laws and take substantive measures for ease of doing business.

He said the cabinet issued directives to the Board of Investment to take necessary steps for repealing obsolete laws causing hurdles in investment process.

Fawad said Pakistan had made tremendous progress in creating ease of doing business, and more initiatives in that regard were in the offing. Regretting the exploitation of local land owners at the hands of powerful, he said the cabinet formed a committee headed by the Secretary Interior on the issue of E-11 Sector's development.

The strategy formulation for new framework of MoUs on foreign investment has been approved, he said, adding that Pakistan recently suffered a huge financial setback in the Reko Diq case and the minister blamed former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry for his “role” that inflicted a huge loss to the country.

He said the cabinet also asked the CDA to implement court orders in land-related cases, adding that a committee had also been formed to review matters in this regard.

First Cyber Security Policy approved

Fawad said the federal cabinet had approved the first-ever cyber security policy for better national security, and response to the looming threat of cyber warfare gaining roots across the globe.

He said the world was moving towards the cyber warfare at a rapid pace, and the government formulated the comprehensive policy in that regard, which was crucial to protect the cyber security regime, and electronic data of citizens.

Fawad said the government had paid dues to media houses but some institutions were still not paying their employees.