Former SSG commando appointed IK’s chief security officer

PTI Chairman Imran Khan.  — PTI Instagram
PTI Chairman Imran Khan. — PTI Instagram

ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Tuesday appointed a former SSG commando as the chief security officer of the party chairman Imran Khan.

The development came after the government demanded the PTI to appoint a focal person in this regard following Imran Khan’s claims that his life was in danger and a followup meeting at the PM Office on his security details.

“Lt Col (retd) Asim has been appointed as security in-charge of chairman Imran Khan,” the PTI said on Twitter.

The PTI chairman had claimed during the Sialkot rally that a conspiracy was being hatched to take his life and that he has recorded a video sharing the names of those responsible if anything happened to him.

After this, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif chaired a meeting and reviewed security threats to the former premier and issued directives for foolproof security at his home in Islamabad and during political rallies.

In this regard, the prime minister has held two threat assessment meetings with officials from the interior ministry to finalize the security detail of the former prime minister.

At Imran Khan’s residence in Bani Gala, 94 security officers will be deployed, as per the spokesperson of the interior ministry. Of which, 22 men will be from the Islamabad police and 72 from the Frontier Constabulary.

In addition, 26 officers from the security service and nine military personnel will also be made available.

Separately, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police has provided 26 cops and Gilgit-Baltistan has also sent six men for the former prime minister’s protective detail.

Moreover, PM Shehbaz Sharif has also directed provincial governments to ensure Imran Khan has adequate security when he is holding political rallies across the country.

When Imran Khan is on the move, four police vehicles will accompany him with 23 cops, as well as a vehicle with five Rangers personnel.

The interior ministry spokesperson added that if there is a specific threat to the former prime minister more security will be made available.

In a separate statement, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also offered the PTI to form a judicial commission to probe the threats to Imran Khan’s life.