Prime Minister Orders To Restrict VIP Protocol Of Cabinet Members

Prime Minister Imran Khan took stern notice of the unnecessary protocol given to members of the federal cabinet and VIPs and ordered a ban on it to save the people from suffering.

According to the report, sources in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed that the security personnel of ministers and other VIPs be reduced to two personnel.

According to media reports, the Prime Minister issued the order after a video of Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib’s security went viral on social media.

In this regard, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that he did not know why the Prime Minister took notice.

The Federal Minister was of the view that the protocol and security of the Federal Ministers was already very low.

Sources said that Prime Minister Khan also expressed concern over the heavy security protocol of Chief Ministers and Governors.

It was also learned that Prime Minister Imran Khan had once questioned the security protocol of President Dr Arif Ali when he reached the Parliament House and was received.

A senior PMO official said that Prime Minister Khan usually spoke a few minutes before the start of the federal cabinet meeting and in the last meeting on Tuesday, he raised the issue of extending the protocol and security of VIPs to federal ministers.

He quoted the Prime Minister as saying that the security of the ministers and their protocol needed to be reduced and re-examined.

The prime minister also announced last Tuesday that he would “not attend any private function with protocol and security” to save taxpayers’ money and the public from suffering.

In a tweet on social networking site Twitter, the prime minister said he was also reviewing the protocol and security available to ministers, governors and chief ministers belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and “decide How can we minimize costs and eliminate the public nuisance.

He said that the federal cabinet would come up with a comprehensive policy in this regard next week.

“To save taxpayer money & avoid inconvenience to the public I will not be going to any private function with protocol & security. I am also reviewing protocol & security for ministers, governors & PTI CMs to decide how we can minimise expenditure & end public inconvenience,” he said.

The Prime Minister added, “We will put an end to the colonial legacy of pomp & glory used to overwhelm the people.”

It may be recalled that before coming to power, Imran Khan had opposed the security protocol and after being elected Prime Minister, launched a campaign to adopt austerity and lead a simple lifestyle.