SPU CPEC Sindh Police Personnel Deserve Fair Treatment and Clarity on Risk Allowance
All SPU CPEC Sindh Police Personnel
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a major strategic and economic initiative for Pakistan and the security of CPEC is vital to the nation’s economic interests and its relations with China. In Sindh, the Special Protection Unit (SPU) is responsible for CPEC. Which carries out the protection of CPEC-related projects, Chinese nationals and other sensitive installations. The members of this project carry out specialized duties in difficult and possibly high-risk situations. It costs them to stay away from their families for long periods. Although these duties are important, worries as to the financial and institutional treatment of the personnel have not yet been settled, especially concerning the reported Rs.24,000 CPEC Risk Allowance. The fact that the allowance is important that go beyond being an extra financial advantage and is also a form of acknowledgement of the risks involved in carrying out specialized CPEC security duties. Since inflation and the increasing cost of living are having a greater impact on police staff, the ongoing uncertainty regarding the allowance has now become a major worry. The main question therefore is whether the allowance was officially approved, authorized or notified, and if it was, then why it has not been put into effect. The strength of this concern is increased when compared with other specialized units of the Sindh Police, such as the Special Security Unit, the Counter Terrorism Department and the Rapid Response Force. Since different benefits related to risk are provided under government policy. However, it does not follow that all specialized units should have same allowances. Nevertheless, any significant difference in financial treatment should be based on clear, objective and transparent criteria concerning risk, responsibility, deployment conditions and the type of service.
The situation also has a constitutional aspect since Article 25 of the Constitution provides for equality before the law. Whereas, Article 4 also states that people must be treated in accordance with the law. Equality does not mean that the same treatment must be given in all cases, but any distinctions made between individuals who are in similar positions must be based on a reasonable and legal ground. Since the personnel of SPU CPEC are in a position which involves risks and responsibilities comparable to those of other specialized units, the basis for any considerable difference in financial benefits should be looked into.
The situation also has important implications for strategic security; the effectiveness of CPEC’s security arrangements relies not just on the equipment and the way it is deployed but also on the morale and motivation of the personnel who are in charge of guarding strategic projects and Chinese citizens. Financial and institutional recognition can help to foster confidence, commitment, and operational effectiveness. A military force which is responsible for protecting strategic national assets must believe that its duties are properly recognized.
The appropriate course of action for the leadership of the Sindh Government and the Sindh Police would be to carry out a transparent examination of the official files relating to the Rs.24,000 allowance, looking at any notification, approval, internal correspondence between departments or financial authorization. Meanwhile, the criteria for risk allowances applicable to other specialized units should also be looked at in light of the real duties, deployment conditions and risks encountered by the SPU CPEC personnel. In the case where the allowance had been formally approved, their current status should be made clear and the required procedures for implementation carried out; if it had never been formally authorized, that fact should be stated clearly.
The real question is not one of preferential treatment but rather concerns fairness, transparency and the acknowledgement of risk. Since CPEC constitutes a strategic national interest, the personnel who are responsible for carrying out the projects and for those foreign nationals associated with them form a significant element of Pakistan’s security structure, and their legitimate concerns should be met with a clear, legal and evidence-based answer. A nation which expects its personnel to guard its strategic national assets must also make sure that those personnel are treated fairly, transparently and with proper recognition of the responsibilities.
(Received through email)
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Read: 3361 Personnel deployed for security of 3637 Chinese working in Sindh (Published: July 5, 2022)
