Helipad controversy for Pakistan’s new PM

[Baby Leone]

ISLAMABAD: The private home of Pakistan’s new prime minister may be furnished with a helipad at government expense to save police securing the 14-mile road trip from the capital, officials said Tuesday.

Police told AFP that helipads are customary additions to private residences as part of “VVIP” security arrangements.

But critics lashed out at the arrangements as “disappointing” after Raja Pervez Ashraf said his first priority would be to resolve crippling power cuts that leave millions without electricity for up to 18 hours a day.

Ashraf, who took office on Friday, has moved into the premier’s official residence but like previous incumbents is expected to spend weekends at his private home in Gujar Khan, 23 kilometres south of the capital.

“Senior officials visited the site on Monday to review security arrangements. A site has already been selected for the helipad and its construction will commence very soon,” one police official told AFP.

He declined to speculate on the expense, but said the helipad would save police from “the hassle” of finding personnel to man a staggering 300 security points that would otherwise be needed between Islamabad and Gujar Khan.

Ashraf’s boss, President Asif Ali Zardari, is famously so nervous about security that he travels by helicopter even on the short distance to the airport.

But other officials said a helipad was just one of a number of proposals being considered for the premier’s security and that there was no final decision.

Critics said it would send the wrong message when millions live in poverty, financial crisis could force Pakistan back to the IMF and relations with Washington are on the brink.

“He is enjoying all the perks of his position while ignoring the country’s economic problems,” said a spokesman for the main opposition PML-N party, Siddiq-ul Farooq.

“It’s a waste of money. It’s not surprising that a helipad is being made – that is how Pakistani prime ministers behave,” said political commentator Hasan Askari.

Opinions of Pakistan’s rulers “will not change until they perform,” he added.

Ashraf is a controversial choice for prime minister.

The Supreme Court last week dismissed his predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, for contempt for refusing to reopen corruption cases against the president.

Ashraf only took office after a judge issued an arrest warrant for the first suggested replacement.

He faces corruption allegations from his tenure as water and power minister.

Helipad controversy for Pakistan’s new PM | DAWN.COM

is that weekend off for PM??

 

[livingdead]

Cant he move to the official residence which can be easily secured.

 

[Baby Leone]

a very nice comment by someone on the same site..

I think we as Pakistanis and our Media are lost in small scale and peripheral things!

There should be a debate on Economy, Social Services, Energy, Security & Terrorism; INSTEAD and perhaps deliberately our attetion is diverted to small, rediculous and negative aspects of the Powerfull which exist everywhere in the World….

But the World is smarted at getting their leaders to DELIVER the goods whilst having some benefits that come with the Job!

 

[third eye]

Why does he not use a helipad membrane, the portable kind that armed forces use ?

No additional expense and can be removed when he is sacked / removed / resigns whichever is earlier.

 

[Jango]

A helicopter does not need a specific helipad to land in.

It can land in his lawn FFS.

 

[Al Bhatti]

June 27, 2012

Helipad controversy for new Pakistan PM

Government expense to save police securing the 14-mile road trip from the capital

The private home of Pakistan’s new prime minister may be furnished with a helipad at government expense to save police the trouble of securing the 14-mile road trip from the capital, officials said on Tuesday.

Police told AFP that helipads are customary additions to private residences as part of “VVIP” security arrangements in a country where Taliban insurgents attack repeatedly and Osama Bin Laden lived undetected for a decade, according to one of his wives.

But critics lashed out at the arrangements as “disappointing” after Raja Pervez Ashraf said his first priority would be to resolve crippling power cuts that leave millions without electricity for up to 18 hours a day.

Ashraf, who took office on Friday, has moved into the premier’s official residence but like previous incumbents is expected to spend weekends at his private home, a mansion in Gujar Khan, 23 kilometres south of the capital.

“Senior officials visited the site on Monday to review security arrangements. A site has already been selected for the helipad and its construction will commence very soon,” a police official said.

He declined to speculate on the expense, but said the helipad would save police from “the hassle” of finding personnel to man a staggering 300 security points that would otherwise be needed between Islamabad and Gujar Khan.

Ashraf’s boss, President Asif Ali Zardari, is famously so nervous about security that he travels by helicopter even the short distance to the airport.

But other officials said a helipad was just one of a number of proposals being considered for the premier’s security and that there was no final decision.

Critics said it would send the wrong message when millions live in poverty. Financial crisis could force Pakistan back to the IMF and relations with Washington are on the brink.

“He is enjoying all the perks of his position while ignoring the country’s economic problems,” said a spokesman for the main opposition PML-N party, Siddiq-ul Farooq.

“It’s a waste of money. It’s not surprising that a helipad is being made — that is how Pakistani prime ministers behave,” said political commentator Hassan Askari.

Opinions of Pakistan’s rulers “will not change until they perform”, he added.

Ashraf is a controversial choice for prime minister.

The Supreme Court last week dismissed his predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, for contempt for refusing to reopen corruption cases against the president. Ashraf only took office after a judge issued an arrest warrant for the first suggested replacement.

He faces corruption allegations from his tenure as water and power minister, and many believe he will be forced out soon — either by early elections or the judiciary.

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pakistan/helipad-controversy-for-new-pakistan-pm-1.1040866

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They have issues with the security arrangements and the Taliban insurgent attacks and have all the constitutional rights to make necessary arrangements but the common citizen does not have any rights for the safety and security of himself from corruption and dumb head politicians on one side and for his life on the other side.

I say to those insurgents blow up the parliament while all the politicians are inside having fun and wasting the government resources (sorry I mean discussing national issues).

a very nice comment by someone on the same site..

I think we as Pakistanis and our Media are lost in small scale and peripheral things!

There should be a debate on Economy, Social Services, Energy, Security & Terrorism; INSTEAD and perhaps deliberately our attetion is diverted to small, rediculous and negative aspects of the Powerfull which exist everywhere in the World….

But the World is smarted at getting their leaders to DELIVER the goods whilst having some benefits that come with the Job!

Is it possible to make a site like the one for Mursi ( Morsi Meter - ???? ???? ) where we can see what issues the current senior officials, Ministers, Prime Minister, President promised and boasted off of working on them and how much they succeeded in it.

It is something good for the people to see and know with facts how the government is working and how they worked worked.

For example the site made for mursi has sections for different issues that he said he would tackle for example increasing bakeries that provide subsidized bread (خبز; or روتي as we know it), traffic, security, fuel, cleanliness and how much has been tackled so far and how many days he has been president.

 

[mdcp]

People will happily accept helipad, its not too costly either otherwise we will end up in road blocks, long ques and all nonsense and specially patients, old age, women, children suffer most

 

[Baby Leone]

People will happily accept helipad, its not too costly either otherwise we will end up in road blocks, long ques and all nonsense and specially patients, old age, women, children suffer most

may be ppls of Gujjar Khan wil accept due to the siad reason, but nor media cz why in pvt home with tax payers money?

 

[Guest01]

How does Kiyani and the other Generals travel? Do they use any helicopters and cost which could be hurting the millions of the poor?

 

[Al Bhatti]

I wish this news gets published in English and someone sends a link to all our politicians.

مرسي يصرّ على صلاة الفجر في المسجد ويرفض الحراسة

 

[lem34]

Typical some in Pakistani media focussing on none events. I am not a supporter of PPP but surely we need to provide security for our officials is not unreasonable

 

[Al Bhatti]

مرسى يفتح صدره فى «التحرير»: لا أرتدى قميصاً مضاداً للرصاص ومطمئن بكم

During the speach he opened his coat and tells the crowd that he is not wearing a bullet proof vest and that he is satisfied with the people.

Can our leaders in pakistan dare to do this?

Egyptian President-elect Mohammed Mursi gives a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.

This is how the speaches should be from a leader to his fellow citizens

Last week he went to pray for Fajr prayers and noticed guards getting ready to follow him, he asked them not to come with him to the mosque. He prayed in a local mosque without any guards.

And in another incident he saw some guards standing on duty while he (Mursi) was around (around afternoon) he enquired they are standing since when? An official answered since so and so time, he ordered the guards to be sent back.

he has also asked not to psot his pictures in any ministry or govt. building.

 

[BATMAN]

A helicopter does not need a specific helipad to land in.

It can land in his lawn FFS.

HE probably need paved helipad with terminal building, which will be a personal property after few months.

 

[tvsram1992]

HE probably need paved helipad with terminal building, which will be a personal property after few months.

He is going to make his private building a PMs building and he can live there for his life time .

 

[Al Bhatti]

Typical some in Pakistani media focussing on none events. I am not a supporter of PPP but surely we need to provide security for our officials is not unreasonable

It is being said that he has ordered that no road or traffic should be blocked for his presidential convoy and the result was this.

And our politicians are a pain in the A$$ for the public

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This was him on the stage

And our's make the best security arrangments for themselves and not for the citizens

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And he did not forget those individuals who gave their lives for the revolution or uprising (what ever you want to call it):

And our's forgot those who gave them the votes the moment the results are announced

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And the best picture of all:

He has ordered that his pictures not be hung in any ministry or governemnt building. And our's make sure that the picture is placed in the best most visible place.