Bulletproof Cars for VVIPs
- Syed A Mateen, Karachi

THE government has decided to purchase a fleet of 30 high-priced bulletproof Mercedes Benz cars for selected federal ministers and other dignitaries, which will cost to the national ex-chequer more than Rs 3 billion.

It is believed that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has allowed the purchase of the Bullet Proof Cars and has sanctioned the amount. The Finance Ministry has also given its endorsement, which would be over and above of the budget allocation for 2004-05.

The top quality luxurious bulletproof Mercedes cars would cost Rs.100 million and would be imported from Germany which will include the remote control bomb jammer devices, so as to prevent the ministers and other dignitaries against any possible terrorist acts.

It is strange to note that there is no protection made for securing the lives of ordinary people in the country, whereas people’s representatives sitting on the treasury benches are enjoying all the facilities and would also be provided with bulletproof Mercedes Benz cars in order to secure their lives.

The government’s first job is to secure the masses and not the ministers and other dignitaries, who get their salaries from the treasury, when ordinary people pay their taxes. People elect their representatives during the national elections and thereafter these representatives become ministers. The ministers are also from the general masses. Therefore government should not differentiate between the lives of ordinary people and the ministers. Both are human beings and deserve protection.

How can a poor country like Pakistan afford to buy the expensive bulletproof Mercedes Benz cars for the self-protection of the ministers and other dignitaries when ordinary people are killed in the day light in various terrorist acts, which are taking place in the country every now and then?

President of Pakistan is requested to intervene in this matter and cancel the deal of importing bulletproof Mercedes Benz cars. The same amount should be spent on the public welfare projects in the country which are lying pending since ages.

The ministers and other dignitaries who are scared of their lives should devise a foolproof security plan by guiding the security agencies, so that an ordinary citizen of Pakistan as well as its ministers should be protected from further terrorist’s acts.●

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