Govt-owned luxury vehicles hidden after SC seeks details, reveals CJP

ISLAMABAD: The luxury vehicles owned by various government departments were hidden after the Supreme Court sought their details, remarked Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar.

During a hearing held on Tuesday on a suo motu notice taken over the issue, the chief justice observed they have received information of 27 such vehicles being hidden in a building, reported Geo News.

He added that they sent the additional registrar to check the building in question but even he was not allowed to inspect the vehicles. According to the CJP, the vehicles were hidden after the Supreme Court sought their record. He remarked that the departments that have reportedly hidden their vehicles belong to the Punjab government.

The petitioner over whose request the issue was raised has stated that the companies accused of hiding government-owned vehicles include National Power Parks Management Company, Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Company and Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab.

The CJP questioned why vehicles worth up to billions of rupees were being hidden. He directed the additional attorney general to find out who gave orders to hide the vehicles and adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period. On Saturday, Chief Justice Nisar had directed the federal and provincial cabinet secretaries to submit a record of all ministers and officers using luxury vehicles beyond their official entitlement.

He had also directed registrars of all high courts to submit within 15 days any record of the chief justices using a vehicle beyond what is due.