Despite claims of reducing government spending through austerity measures, the Sindh government has approved the purchase of 138 luxury double-cabin vehicles for assistant commissioners across the province, sources revealed on Wednesday.
According to insiders, the services, general administration, and coordination department sent a request to the finance department for the release of nearly Rs2 billion for the procurement of the 4×4 vehicles.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah greenlit the summary earlier this week before departing for a week-long visit to the United States. The approval comes amidst financial constraints that have led the provincial government to halt new development projects under the 2024-25 Annual Development Programme.
A summary from the services department’s budget section, approved by the CM, was forwarded to the finance department. It requested the release of Rs1.99 billion from the budget allocated for the Board of Revenue, Sindh, to centrally procure the vehicles within the current fiscal year.
CM House Spokesperson Rasheed Channa clarified that the funds for these vehicles were included in the provincial budget and that this procurement was the first in 12 years, as the last such purchase occurred in 2012. He described the expenditure as necessary for official duties, particularly in rural areas.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh criticized the decision on social media, accusing the government of prioritizing luxury purchases while neglecting flood victims. He questioned whether providing vehicles to assistant commissioners was more important than assisting those affected by the recent rains and floods.
