Punjab restricts permanent police escorts for ministers, MPAs and other officials

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday directed that permanent police escorts should not be provided to provincial ministers, members of the provincial assembly, and other individuals.

Sajid Zafar Dall, the chief minister's principal secretary, issued a notification outlining the directive.

According to the notification, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, parliamentary secretaries, chairpersons of standing committees, and members of the Punjab Assembly will not be provided with permanent police escort facilities. The notification also prohibits the installation of flagstaffs or the display of official flags on government vehicles without prior approval.

The chief minister has made it clear that unauthorised police security details will not be permitted under any circumstances.

Earlier this month, the provincial government introduced austerity measures in response to rising fuel prices.

These included discontinuing government-funded fuel for provincial ministers, reducing fuel allowances for government officers' vehicles by 50%, and limiting protocol convoys escorting ministers and senior officials to a single vehicle.

The use of police personnel for VIP protocol has drawn criticism in Punjab, with concerns over the diversion of public resources from essential policing duties.

Punjab had issued more than 200 new licences to private security companies in recent years while also taking enforcement action against firms found violating regulations.

Earlier, authorities had announced a crackdown on private security companies using police-like uniforms and vehicles after armed guards escorting foreign visitors were involved in a violent road dispute in Lahore.