Additional police are deployed, in addition to securing the services of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and other paramilitary forces, to ensure the security of sensitive sections of the city in the aftermath of protests, mostly by religious groups.
These additional deployments, however, place a budgetary strain on the interior ministry, which is funded by the capital administration.
In the fiscal year 2020-21 budget, an amount of Rs12.09 million was budgeted under the heading “Deployment of military in assist of civil administration.” The city administration, on the other hand, spent Rs123.84 million this year.
“The extraordinary spending was because of money required for erecting containers as road blocks, food and transportation for the large number of police personnel posted at Faizabad and the Red Zone entrances, and other expenditures such as hiring the services of forces falling under the interior ministry, such as the FC,” said a senior administration official.
Following rallies by many religious and political parties against Israeli assault in the Al-Aqsa mosque in May, the Islamabad police and other law enforcement agencies were on high alert.
Furthermore, even in the Red Zone, there were various political party protests. As a result, there were large police deployments.
According to budget documents, the police’s travel and transportation costs were boosted to Rs87.48 million against a budget allocation of Rs7.48 million, while expenditure on food and other needs was boosted to Rs13.13 million against a budget allocation of Rs2.33 million.
The cost of vehicle repairs and maintenance increased to Rs21.43 million, compared to the designated amount of Rs1.43 million, due to the increased movement and activity.
The budget for “Deployment of forces in aid of civil administration” for the fiscal year 2019-20 was Rs11.95 million, and because there were no major protests or threats from July 2019 to June 2020, spending stayed within the budget.
However, for the fiscal year 2021-22, the budget for the same head has been suggested at Rs170.70 million, with Rs88 million allocated to employee-related expenses, which include allowances for police and other emergency workers. The proposed budget for food, travel, and transportation in such crises is Rs73 million.
“Instead of shifting files in hurry when a scenario arises, we want the emergency reaction funding to be ready with the Islamabad administration,” the official added.
