The Jammu and Kashmir administration has revised the security of 177 prominent persons in Jammu and Kashmir following a review of their threat perception.
According to officials, excess security has been withdrawn from politicians, IAS, IPS, JKAS, JKPS officers (serving and retired), retired judges and others after conducting a thorough audit of the Personal Security Officers (PSOs) deployed with them.
This come after the security cover of 20 politicians was withdrawn earlier.
According to reports, two excess PSOs of former Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Shesh Pal Vaid and three extra PSOs with former Additional DGP Munir Ahmad Khan have been withdrawn. Three PSOs of IPS officer Sahil Sangral, working as SP East Srinagar, have been taken back.
Other retired police officers, who were holding excess PSOs with them who have now been recalled by the Security Department, include Mubarak Ahmad Ganie, Rouf-ul-Hassan, AS Bali, Mohammad Amin Anjum (Manhas), Ghulam Hassan Bhat, Mohammad Amin Shah, Jagjeet Kumar, Javid Ahmad Makhdoomi and Shamas Ahmad Khan, all of whom retired as IGPs. Makhdoomi had also served as PSC member.
Commission (SHRC), Muzaffar Hussain Attar, retired Judge High Court/Chairman of Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools and Bashir Ahmad Dar, former Senior Additional Advocate General, have also been taken back.
Serving and retired IAS officers, who have lost extra security cover, include Masood Samoon (former PSC member), Athar Amir Shafi, Commissioner SMC, Fazallul Haseeb, SDM Dharmari, Simrandeep Singh, on deputation to Centre, Rahul Yadav, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Ghulam Nabi Naik (retired IAS as well as former MLA NC) and Khurshid Ahmad Shah, retired Commissioner/ Secretary Public Works (R&B) Department.
More politicians of National Conference, Congress, PDP, BJP, Democratic Azad Party (DAP), People’s Conference etc have also lost additional security cover.
They include Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former PCC (I) chief, Nasir Aslam Wani alias Sogami, former Minister of State for Home, Kafeel-ur-Rehman, Nazir Gurezi, Javed Rana, all former MLAs from NC, Dr Sajad Shafi, Shafqat Watali, Hilal Akbar Lone, all NC, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, former Minister (now in DAP), Mohammad Iqbal Mir, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, both Congress and Mohammad Amin Bhat, former MLA (DAP).
Three BJP leaders, whose excess security cover has been taken back, are Ghulam Hassan Malik, Bilal Ahmad Parray and Mohammad Ashraf Reshi. Tariq Ahmad Veeri of Apni Party has also lost excess security with him. PDP leader Abdul Ahad Tantray’s additional protection has also been withdrawn.
Leaders of People’s Conference of Sajjad Ghani Lone, whose extra PSOs have been called back by the Security Department, are, Sakeena Ansari, Kumail Hussain Ansari, Dr Amjid Raza Ansari, Abdul Hussain Bhat, Nighat Gul, Adnan Ashraf Mir, Mohammad Yaseen Bhat and Habibullah Beigh.
The serving police officers/officials, whose excess security cover has gone, are Shabir Ahmad Malik, SP attached with Police Headquarters, Javed Ahmad Bhat, Staff Officer to IGP Kashmir, Zubair Ahmad Khan, SSP PCR Srinagar, Fayaz Ahmad Lone, SSP and Commandant IRP 10th battalion, Maqsood-ul-Zaman, SSP posted as SO to IGP Traffic, Mansoor Ahmad Mir, SSP Traffic Rural Kashmir, Nighat Aman, Deputy Commandant JKAP 11th, Ashiq Hussain Tak, Additional SP Bandipora, Imran Farooq, Additional SP CID SB Kashmir, Aftab Ahmad Mir, Additional SP Bhaderwah, Sheikh Adil Mushtaq, DySP Anti-Hijacking Srinagar, Afroz Ahmad, Additional SP Shopian, Aijaz Ahmad Malik, Deputy Commandant IRP 23rd, Atul Sharma, Commandant IRP 23rd, Raja Zuhaib Tanveer, SP North Srinagar, Rasiq Ahmad Mir, Deputy Commandant IRP 3rd and Sajad Ahmad Dar, Deputy Commandant JKAP 13th.
The Government officials, whose excess security cover has been taken back, include Dr Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Vice Chairman, J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Srinagar, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, Director Horticulture Kashmir, Mohammad Haneef Balki, Additional DC Srinagar, Rayaz Ahmad, Director SRLM, Galib Mohi-ud-Din, CEO Tourism Development Authority Shopian/Kulgam, Reyaz Ahmad Wani, ex Director Urban and Local Bodies, Sumaira Khan, J&K AIDS Prevention Control Society, Zaffar Hussain Shawl, Additional DC Awantipora and Sajad Qadir, General Manager DIC Srinagar/Budgam.
Dr Naseem Lanker, retired IAS, has also lost her additional security. It may be mentioned here that the Security wing undertook manpower audit of security provided to different individuals including the politicians, officers, individuals etc in view of crunch of Personal Security Officers (PSOs). It was detected that many protectees were having excess security cover than their entitlement,” sources said, adding the excess security has been withdrawn.
“They will continue to keep security personnel to which they are entitled as per the category,”‘ sources said.
Official sources were, however, of the view that security cover of none of the politicians has been downgraded. Rather, it has been rationalized, they said. Those falling in Y Security had been given security cover of Z category and those of Z category were enjoying the cover of Z Plus category and so on.
“We undertook extensive exercise and kept security with all individuals including politicians as per their entitlement under the Category. This was done after manpower audit as the authorities were facing acute shortage of security personnel,” sources said.