ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday amended the staff car rules to legalise the illegal use of bulletproof vehicles by top politicians, services chiefs and federal ministers.
The premier amended the Staff Car Rules, 1980 after the Public Accounts Committee gave a month’s deadline to the government to either amend the rules to provide for such favours or withdraw the vehicles currently being used by these dignitaries but maintained by the taxpayers’ money.
According to an announcement by the PM House, the following clause has been inserted in rules, “provided that the protected vehicle shall be allocated to a vulnerable dignitary subject to availability and approval of the Prime Minister. However, the repair/maintenance and POL of the vehicle shall be (the) responsibility of the respective Ministry/Division/Department or the dignitary concerned”.
The Public Accounts Committee observed that the rules on the subject do not have any provision for allocation of the protected vehicles to any office holder or dignitary.
The PM House stated that in view of the current security environment prevailing in the country, the retrieval of the vehicles from the dignitaries would not be a viable option. Therefore, on summary by the Cabinet Division, the Prime Minister approved the amendments in the Staff Car Rules, 1980.
Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi had briefed the PAC that these vehicles were bought out of a grant issued to the Intelligence Bureau in 2005. The total cost of these vehicles was Rs600 million.
Sethi told the top accountability body of the Parliament that these vehicles were being used by Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chairman Senate, Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fahmida Mirza,
Speaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, chief ministers of Balochistan and KP, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Industries Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Sethi said among the politicians Asfandyar Wali of ANP, Chaudhry Shujaat Husain of PML-Q and Mian Nawaz Sharif of PML-N were using these vehicles.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (27)
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@politik: What are you doing to bring change.. I think you never cast a vote even.
@Salman Sheikh: Hey dont dream that far. By the way when u will come to the power people will only afford Chingchi as long as we dont push ourselves up to bring the change. AND WELL DONE PM SAHIB....convict smack that up on the floor
The "dignatory" will be responsible for the repairs?!
So the Turkish PM will pay from his pocket? What nonsense is this?
Long Live corruption, Long Live revenge (read democracy)
If I have the power i didn't give any MNA or Politician even Chingchi..
@Danish: What well done? Your kind of people have made them our leaders...
@Sane.: Awami Leaders!! scared of death :) :) :)
@ Zamir Malik: What else we can expect from this corrupt political regime and system. You rightly said all political parties are benefiting from this system.
Rotee, Kapra, Makkan ... and Bullet Proof gariyaan !!!
@M. Aamir Khan: Sir everyone is benefiting from this system. Even i met with PTI officials and they are claiming security from Government as well. So why ashamed when every party is involved in it.
If you want peace and stability in country just withdraw all Armed & Un-Armed Guards and these type of bulletproof vehicles from our Politicians, Civil & Military Bureaucrats and Judges. I can bet there will be 100% peace and harmony all round our country.
Well Nawaz Sharif is using the Mercedez provided by the government. He is a billionaire and can afford his expenses and also he is not an elected member so how he is claiming expenses from the government. He criticize the government for Corruption while he is the beneficiary from this systme. It is very very shameful. All of our leaders are hypocrites.
We (public) should not forget why these rulers come on us? Because our own acts and mindset was not good. Now still we have chance to change ourselves first than InshAllah Allah will change them in near future. The way Allah made them rulers surely remove them as it is.
Do not disappoint, Always keep hope for the best.
PM Gillani: "WHAT? Those idiots have called these cars back? Who has given them the right to do so. Hum, lets c. I shall change that rule (If i can give suggestion to print paper money to overcome the circular debt, i can surely change the rule". LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!!!
Well done Gilani.
Army generals require to move around in open 4 X 4 , as it suits them , after all they are commandos , please behave bravely. Remember Bainazeer Bhutto ,Moammar Qadhafi etc. They all have bullet proof cars/landcrusers but when the time of death arrives, nothing can escape them from death. Please spend this money on poor Pakistani nation. Trust me nation become syco, when they not sleep in the nights due to load shedding and when go to work, no work because of load shedding. We have to avoid the time, when the same people come on roads and through people from these valuable vehicles and burn them in ashes. Please change govt policies, 10 years back we don't have any suicide attacks or any life threat to our elite class. I hope my note take it positively by concern authorities. Thanks
So will PML-N leaders return their illegal cars now legalized by an illegal PM (pml-n eyes) . Think not.
I just pray to ALLAH to get rid of our country from these corrupt hypocrites. May Allah have mercy on Pakistan and its people and save them from these Zalim rulers... I hope Imran Khan wins and brings some change atleast.
What a rapid action of PM to protect the interests his corrupt companion, well done PM you are king you can do every thing.
I am a vulnerable dignitary. Where is my bullet proof car?
Not the first, or the last time the rules have been changed to accommodate our 'guardians of democracy'. Enjoy.
services chiefs should move in tanks, bullet proof cars are not enough to hide the SHAME......
Cinvicted PM can do whatever he would like to do for his own sake.This is what we call democrazy.
How fast they amend constitution in their own interest... They didn't even pass a simple resolution in 40 years on Dams. This shows how importance are "us"(Common Pakistanis)
Well Done. Its positive move.
What the shameful act amended and legalized by convicted ex-PM Gillani to secure and protect the lives of top politicians,services chiefs and federal ministers and what did he think about the protection and security of common Pakistani who can't afford bulletproof vehicles and purchasing the weapons for self-defense and who is the only victim of terrorism,targeted killing innocently and kidnapping killing? This is the bitter and harsh reality and the most important question rises here that the leaders who can't secure themselves how can they secure and protect the nation and country from terrorism,killing and kidnapping??????
Typical rule amendment when you are ruled by thieves. What else convicted PM can do!!