All senior state bureaucrats accompanying Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam [Images] Nabi Azad on the state aircraft will henceforth be subjected to personal and luggage frisking as part of the sped up drill regarding Azad's security.

Instructions regarding this have been issued by the Jammu and Kashmir [Images] home department stating that all the senior bureaucrats of the government who accompany the chief minister on board the state Beachcraft plane will have to submit to personal and luggage frisking drills.

It must be mentioned that Azad's personal security status was upgraded recently to Z-plus category when commandos of the National Security Guards were posted on his personal security.

Until recently, armed security to Azad was provided by the state's Special Services Group comprising of trained commandos from the local security wing.

It must also be mentioned that former chief minister and patron of the ruling alliance partner the People's Democratic Party Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was protected by the state SSG during his chief ministerial tenure as his personal security status remained below the Z-plus category.

Opposition National Conference patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah also enjoys the Z-plus security and is protected by the commandoes of the NSG.