‘Security concerns’: Nearly 300 ‘VVIPs’ use tinted car windows

Interior ministry says 285 VVIPs allowed to use tinted glasses.


Zahid Gishkori May 05, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


Up to nearly 300 VVIPs, including the country’s defence and foreign ministers, use tinted glasses in their vehicles in clear violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, which forbids its use on security and health grounds.


The interior ministry, however, says it has allowed over 285 VVIPs to use tinted glasses, according to official documents submitted to the National Assembly.

Among those allowed to ride in such vehicles are Balochistan’s chief minister, the country’s foreign and defence ministers, former president of Azad Kashmir, members of parliament and provincial assemblies, intelligence operators, businessmen and bureaucrats.

Many countries including India discourage the use of tinted glasses in cars. Last month, India’s top court imposed a blanket ban on tinted car windows.

Interior ministry officials confirmed that there is a restriction on using tinted glasses beyond the permissible limits fixed under the legislation. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, however, insists that government vehicles are allowed tinted glasses for security purposes.

Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, State Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Malik Azmat Khan, Minister of State for Commerce Abbas Khan Afridi, Minister for State and Frontier Region Engineer Shaukatullah, Minister for State and Local Government and Rural Development Masood Abbas, Federal Minister Zakat and Ushr Noorul Haq Qadri, Minister for Religious Affairs Khurshid Shah, former minister Farooq Saeed Khan, Public Accounts Committee head Nadeem Afzal Chan are among those permitted to use tinted glasses.

National Assembly members who use tinted glasses are: Mir Hamdan Bugti, Asim Nazir, Dr Araish,Malik Amir Yar, Rana Asif Tauseef, Riaz Malik, Muhammad Yousaf, Humair Hayat, Nouman Ahmed, Farooq Saeed, Surriya Asghar, Munir Khan Orakzai, Asad Zaman Khan, Zahid Iqbal, Abid Sher Ali and Kamran Khan amongst others.

Two journalists were also given permission to use such vehicles – Chief Editor Daily-Naw-e-Pak Tahir Mughal and Talat Farooq from Dawn News TV.

The ministry submitted these documents to the National Assembly in response to a written query by MNA Riaz Malik who sought a list of those people allowed to use tinted glasses in the vehicles in the last four years.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated "Balochistan Chief Minister Lashkari Raisani" instead of "Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani". The correction has been made.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2012.

COMMENTS (13)

Khalid Pathan | 11 years ago | Reply There are three reasons for using the tinted windows. 1. Status symbol. 2. Hide from the eyes of filthy masses or AJLAF. 3. To deceive the death angel " MALKUL MOT.
Pakistani | 11 years ago | Reply

OMG!! Government workers of Pakistan must be the most wanted people in the world because they worry about their security despite of having a hi-tech protocol and road jammed on their arrivals! May GOD embrace them in HIS security..

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