President Alvi travels with around 30 vehicles in 'Naya Karachi'

KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) rhetoric of austerity measures, including receiving no VIP protocol, seems to be coming undone as President Arif Alvi on Saturday traveled to the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with an extensive security protocol. 

Mr Alvi visited the mausoleum of the father of the nation on Saturday morning to pay his respects after he assumed office as the 13^th head of state.

He was driven to the Mazar-e-Quaid in a convoy consisting of around 30 vehicles as the roads leading to it were closed to traffic, adding to the miseries of commuters.

The president’s protocol is in stark contrast to the PTI government’s claims of austerity measures which it has announced to adopt to cut down on the expenditures to help stabilise the faltering economy.

Last night, a video emerged on the social media, showing President Arif Alvi leaving Karachi airport in a motorcade of over two dozen vehicles.

Responding to criticism over the extensive security protocol, the president took to Twitter to clarify his position. He said: “The long chain of official cars following me is despite the fact that I asked all officials present at the airport not to embarrass me with a huge protocol & that 1 or 2 cars in front and 1 or 2 cars behind may satisfy their security needs. Did not happen. We have to try harder.”

The long chain of official cars following me is despite the fact that I asked all officials present at the airport not to embarrass me with a huge protocol & that 1 or 2 cars in front and 1 or 2 cars behind may satisfy their security needs. Did not happen. We have to try harder

— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) September 15, 2018