PTI Slams Punjab’s Rs730m Bulletproof Car Purchase as Extravagant

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) condemns the Punjab government’s Rs730 million allocation for bulletproof vehicles, highlighting it as wasteful spending amid economic hardship.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has fiercely criticized the Punjab government’s decision to allocate Rs730 million for bulletproof vehicles, branding it as a stark example of misplaced priorities. Shayan Bashir, head of PTI’s Punjab Media Cell, called the expenditure a “blatant display of anti-people governance” during a time when citizens face soaring costs for essentials like flour, electricity, and medicine. He emphasized that over 35 million Punjab residents live below the poverty line, grappling with a 15% tax on medicines and rising agricultural costs, including a 25% hike in fertilizer prices.

Bashir pointed to the Punjab government’s history of lavish spending, citing a prior Rs7.5 billion approval for luxury vehicles. He accused the Punjab Finance Department of evading accountability after it deflected his July 7 request for vehicle purchase records, suggesting either incompetence or deliberate concealment. “This response reflects either dangerous administrative failure or a deep-rooted corruption scandal,” Bashir stated, alleging a violation of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, which mandates transparency from public institutions.

The PTI’s outrage extends beyond vehicles, with Bashir highlighting budget increases for elite offices, including an 870% surge for the Governor House to Rs1.53 billion and a 204% rise for provincial ministers to Rs1.07 billion. He argued that these funds divert resources from critical sectors like health, education, and agriculture, where farmers face neglect and low-income families struggle. PTI demands a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) forensic audit into these expenditures and vows to challenge the spending in courts and through public protests.

The Punjab government’s focus on luxury, PTI argues, ignores pressing issues like maternal mortality rates—165 deaths per 100,000 births—and inadequate access to clean water and food. Bashir’s statement underscores a broader sentiment that the government prioritizes elite comfort over public welfare. As economic pressures mount, PTI’s call for accountability resonates with citizens frustrated by rising costs and diminishing services. The party pledges to fight until Punjab’s resources serve its people, not a privileged few.