NAWABSHAH: More than 150 policemen deployed for security at various places in the district, including Zardari House and sugar mills, have been called back to police lines.

Talking to Dawn, newly posted Shaheed Benazirabad SSP Rai Ijaz Ahmad confirmed the development and said the decision had been taken in compliance with the Supreme Court order.

More than 12,600 police personnel deputed for the security of unauthorised persons across the country have been withdrawn on the order of Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.

The data submitted to the court by law enforcement agencies in April showed that 4,610 police personnel in Punjab, 5,005 in Sindh, around 2,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 829 Constabulary and police personnel in Balochistan and 246 in Islamabad had been called back to their stations following the chief justice’s directive.

SSP Ijaz Ahmad said disciplinary action would be taken against those policemen who failed to report back. He, however, said the approved security status of Zardari House as Ex-President House would remain the same.

He explained that additional or unapproved police guards provided to a number of people and institutions had been withdrawn. Since the elections were round the corner, police deployment would be made in different parts of Nawabshah, including polling stations, he added.

He said that any person who needed security might submit an application which would be discussed and decided by the district monitoring committee and departments concerned on merit.

Sources in police said 36 policemen had been withdrawn from Zardari House.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2018