KARACHI, April 14: One of the many demands on the wishlist of the newly formed Sindh cabinet is the provision of police escort mobiles.

Unlike Punjab, provincial ministers in Sindh are eager for police escorts, which are also considered a status symbol at least in Sindh. They create public nuisance. The greater the number of police mobiles, the more important the minister sitting in his vehicle, is the common perception.

However, the police department is finding it hard to arrange escort mobiles for the new cabinet ministers due to the shortage of police vans.

Citing reasons for the shortage of escort mobiles, sources in the police department told Dawn that the former provincial police officer, retired major Ziaul Hasan Khan, had ordered allotment of those mobiles to police stations which had been withdrawn from escort duties during his and his predecessor’s tenure. Some of those mobiles were sent for maintenance and are still under repair.

Some ministers of the previous government are still enjoying the security of police escorts.

The former provincial minister for labour, transport and industries is still keeping 34 policemen and three police mobiles, sources in the police department say. The former adviser to the chief minister on home affairs at one time maintained as many as 104 police personnel, a senior police officer said.

On Monday all such police escorts were supposed to be withdrawn, but in the evening orders to this effect were put on hold.

So far, Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro has been provided with a police escort and Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has secured two escort mobiles, sources said. However, more police mobiles and Rangers vehicles are expected to join the escort of the home minister.

Sources said police officers concerned were in a fix on Monday as five police escorts were demanded by the provincial home minister, which were supposed to be provided the same day. The five police escorts were meant for Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani and four women cabinet members.

A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, expressed his apprehensions that the newly acquired Hi-Lux pickup trucks, which would be used as police mobiles, would end up as escort mobiles for ministers as they would not be satisfied with the present lot of police mobiles, which have a tendency of breaking down off and on.

Out of the sanctioned strength of 28,000 police personnel for Karachi, at least 5,000 to 6,000 remain on escort duties.

Government priorities are obvious from the fact that for chasing criminals an average police station of the city has a badly rundown police mobile capable that runs at a snail’s pace. Sources in the police department said there are at least 72 permanent escorts, which have been assigned to judges, politicians, religious leaders, etc.

The second category is that of temporary escorts, which vary from time to time. They are assigned to the visiting politicians, including federal ministers and foreign dignitaries.

On an average, 30 temporary escorts remain engaged in the city.

“Particularly, the police guards attached with religious leaders for their protection adapt to the lifestyle of the cleric they are supposed to protect and then it becomes impossible to distinguish them (police guards) from an armed religious leader having beard,” a senior police official remarked.

A senior police officer said that prolonged guard duties drastically altered policemen’s loyalty and professional skills.