'FBR won't be allowed to purchase expensive vehicles'

Vawda warns of NAB action if cars procurement continues

Senator Faisal Vawda has said the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will not be allowed to buy expensive vehicles over more affordable options.

He was speaking during a session of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance on Wednesday.

He reminded that during the previous government, many unnecessary expenditures were stopped, and vowed to continue preventing losses to Pakistan.

"We will not let Pakistan suffer billions in losses. Why buy vehicles worth Rs6 billion? A summary was created to benefit one company. You want to replace affordable vehicles with expensive ones… we won't let that happen," Vawda said.

He added that when the issue of purchasing vehicles arose, he had warned everyone that it was a wrong move, and now, members of the cabinet committee were acknowledging it. "The FBR has no answer for its vehicle purchases," he said.

Vawda criticised the FBR for its decision to buy new vehicles, stating that there was a tax shortfall of Rs386 billion that needed to be addressed first. "If the vehicles are purchased, I will approach the NAB against them," he warned.

The senator accused the FBR of buying vehicles from specific companies, describing the move as a "big scandal" and a case of corruption. "What's bigger than a kickback contract? This is a major corruption issue," he remarked.

Vawda also questioned whether the FBR was using vehicle purchases to cover the tax shortfall.

He urged the committee to stop the purchases for now and instead, opt for a competitive process for buying the vehicles. "If the purchases are not stopped, it will be a massive corruption scandal," he concluded.