Imran Khan to move into official residence: Report

Team Udayavani, Aug 1, 2018, 2:15 PM IST

Islamabad: A house in the Ministers’ Enclave in Islamabad will be declared the official residence of Imran Khan, who is set to become Pakistan’s new prime minister, as his private house is vulnerable to threats, according to a media report.

Khan’s Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the July 25 elections. Khan, 65, would take oath as the prime minister on August 11.  Khan, in his victory speech on July 26, had announced that he would not use the Prime Minister’s House as his residence and that his party would later decide the fate of the building.

Shortly after his party’s victory in the elections, the police and the district administration started extending VVIP protocol and security to Khan. Security was tightened around Khan’s Banigala residence, Dawn newspaper reported. Senior police officers visited Khan’s Banigala residence and assessed the home and the area around it, including the hills.

The police officials said there was no standard operating procedure for the prime minister in-waiting, but since Khan is likely to be the next prime minister, necessary measures have been taken for his security, the report said. They discussed security issues with PTI leader Naeemul Haq as well as the chief security officer of the residence, it said.

Issues regarding the official residence of the prime minister-in-waiting also came under discussion. The officials briefed them about the standard operating procedure (SOP) related to the security and protocol of the prime minister, the report added. The senior officers also met Khan and briefed him about security and protocol.

During the meeting, the district administration officials told him that his residence could not be provided foolproof security as the area was open and vulnerable to threats. Earlier, there was an option to declare Banigala residence as Khan’s official residence. Khan then agreed not to use Banigala as his official residence, the officials told Dawn.

A few more options were also given to him, including using an accommodation at the Ministers’ Enclave, which he accepted, the report said. However, he asked for a lowest category house at the enclave, it said.

There are flats which fall in the lowest category, but since necesary SOPs and protocol for prime minister could not be implemented there, the senior officers advised Khan against using a flat and instead prefer a house to which Khan agreed, the report said.