Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Tuesday observed that the Supreme Court would not allow use of bulletproof vehicles for election campaign ahead of the upcoming polls, questioning Punjab chief secretary that why and under which laws former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had been given a bulletproof vehicle which he was not entitled to.
Heading a three-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, which was hearing a suo motu case against use of luxury vehicles by federal and provincial ministers and government officials beyond their entitlement, the CJP noted that there were only 1.8 million people in the country who paid taxes. “How the permission to use bulletproof vehicles was granted,” he asked, and directed that the former chief ministers should be provided security as per law. He also ordered the authorities concerned to impound official vehicles being kept without merit and entitlement. The CJP also asked Shehbaz Sharif to remove his vehicles from the children park located in front of his Model Town residence and park those inside his house.
The court ordered the authorities concerned to take back official vehicles from all the former ministers, particularly seven ministers from Balochistan, and warned that those who fail to return the vehicles will have to pay one hundred thousand rupees per day as fine, which would be doubled after a week.
The chief justice said that reportedly former federal minister Anusha Rehman is also facing some security threats. The chief secretary replied that Rehman had not been given any bulletproof vehicle. He said after a fatal suicide attack on former provincial minister Col (r) Shuja Khanzada, the ministers were given bulletproof vehicles. He said Shehbaz Sharif was given a bulletproof vehicle as he faced serious security threats. The chief justice asked him to quote a law under which a bulletproof vehicle can be provided to those facing security threats.
He also expressed dismay over the barricades and checkpoints installed outside Shehbaz Sharif’s Model Town residence, saying checkpoints have been installed at the space where children used to play. The chief secretary then stated that the space meant for the park was now being used for parking, adding that checkpoints have been removed from outside the residence of Shehbaz Sharif. The chief justice asked him to produce a video showing outside view of Shehbaz’s Model Town residence.
Presenting before the court a report over the luxury vehicles being used by the members of the federal cabinet and departments of the federation, additional attorney general Nayyar Abbas Rizvi stated that 56 cars were being used by the ministers in Balochistan, out of which 49 have been recovered. He further stated that 105 luxury vehicles were being used by the federal government and the cabinet, of which 102 had been recovered and only three are remaining.
To a query by the chief justice that how many bulletproof vehicles were being used by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, advocate Farooq H Naek stated that they were using their own personal bulletproof vehicles. The chief justice then observed that the court would not allow the use of bulletproof vehicles for the campaign of the upcoming general elections.
The court asked Punjab chief secretary and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman to submit their affidavits on the matter of luxury vehicles.
Addressing the FBR chairman, the chief justice said the complete details of vehicles were still awaited from his organisation. He said FBR’s officials were illegally using official vehicles. He regretted that the officials of FBR had distributed the confiscated vehicles among themselves.
The FBR chairman, however, stated that he had already provided the court all the information about the vehicles. Additional attorney general stated that the Inland Revenue Department had 57 luxury vehicles, whereas 57 such tempered vehicles had been dumped. The chief justice asked why these vehicles were being used by the officers before being dumped. He said such luxury vehicles should not be given to the officers. He also asked that how such tempered vehicles could be made useable and at what expense. He said all the luxury vehicles be taken back from FBR officials. He said officers cannot use the vehicles above 1300cc. However, he said twin cab vehicle could be used as there were so many vehicles which were luxurious than the twin cab vehicles.
The FBR chairman then stated that all such 57 vehicles had already been taken back from the FBR officials and parked. He, however, conceded that officers were misusing the official vehicles. “If it does so, then you should resign,” the CJP told the FBR chairman, adding that there was no accountability in the FBR. To a court query, the chairman stated that FBR did not purchase luxury vehicles. The CJP noted that due to the smuggled vehicles, local car industry of Pakistan had been badly hit.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing till June 11.
Published in Daily Times, June 6th 2018.