Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has limited the official cars
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has limited the official cars of his ministers to a maximum of 1600 cubic capacity. However, some officials, such as Rehman Malik, the prime ministers interior affairs adviser has continued to use his privately bought bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser. Gilani himself has also continued to use his Land Cruiser. According to Dawn, these ministers use their flashy SUVs as a matter or safety rather than style.In November 2007, the government passed a measure that allowed the general public to privately import vehicles with added security features that include bulletproof glass, re-enforced steel doors, and special bomb proof exteriors. A trade tax of 10per cent was imposed on these vehicles.
The volatile security situation has forced many ministers to place orders for expensive bulletproof vehicles, such as BMWs. In a Daily Times report, the paper cites the Government of Sindh as placing orders to a Singaporean firm for two bullet-proof BMWs worth 71.4 million rupees for the provincial governor and chief minister. It goes on to state that upon hearing the news, caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Abdul Qadir Halepoto also expressed I mnterest in the same car and the government department had to issue another purchase order. "Both officials already have a number of Mercedes in Governor and Chief Minister House at their disposal", the report said.
Maliks government issued Land Cruiser is currently being used by the former interior minister, Aftab Sherpao. When asked by Dawn about his 3000cc plus jeep, the minister replied that his vehicle is necessary as he is a "prime target" for terrorists. President Musharraf currently uses a Level 6 Land Cruiser which is blast proof and has signal jammers.