The Punjab government has plans to purchase 79 new luxury vehicles for provincial ministers, parliamentary secretaries as well as escorts for provincial ministers’ security and VVIP protocol duties
It will cost the government Rs612.475m.
What kind of luxury vehicles?
The foreign affairs ministry had requested the Punjab government to provide it with 15 VVIP luxury vehicles, including bulletproof cars, for deployment with the 12 prime ministers coming to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) scheduled to start on Oct 15 in Islamabad.
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The senior officials in the Services and General Administration Department’ (S&GAD) say that every new government, including the caretaker government, in the province had purchased luxury vehicles for provincial ministers, parliamentary secretaries, judges and other senior functionaries and after the incumbent government’s approval, the finance department might release the funds along with permission for advance withdrawal of Rs612.475 million.
Considering the prevailing law and order situation in the province, the government requested for 30 new Toyota Hilux single cabin 4×2 (with special fiber hood installed on the rear) also required to escort provincial ministers.
Furthermore, the 23rd gathering of the council of heads of government (prime ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on 15-16 Oct. At the SCO, the Pakistan government is expecting 12 heads of government to attend the meeting.
In this regard the foreign affairs ministry had requested the Punjab government to provide 15 bulletproof/non-bullet proof VVIP vehicles (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota Land Cruiser & Fortuner etc) for the SCO meeting during the first three weeks of October.
