Punjab Assembly officials tight-lipped on luxury car purchases for speaker

Punjab government officials are withholding information about the luxury vehicles recently purchased for the offices of the speaker, deputy speaker, and other officials of the Punjab assembly. Opposition lawmakers allege that the provincial government has purchased five luxury cars, totaling Rs180 million, at taxpayer expense.

On July 25, Punjab's Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman confirmed the purchase of luxury vehicles for these positions. “The Punjab Assembly is the largest provincial assembly,” Rehman said during a media briefing. “All provincial assembly speakers have luxury cars, except ours.”

Rehman explained that the vehicles were acquired to accommodate foreign dignitaries and delegations visiting Punjab but did not disclose the specific types of cars purchased or their total cost.

The next day, in a televised press conference, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan reiterated this information. Khan defended the decision, stating, “I exercised good judgment by not opting for a high-end German luxury car, considering the country’s financial situation. The vehicles were acquired according to the rules. I only bought an off-road jeep.”

Khan did not provide further details about the types or costs of the vehicles bought for his office.

Geo Fact Check requested details and documentation regarding the purchases from speaker Khan on August 1. He replied on August 5, promising to provide the necessary information. But despite multiple follow-up reminders on August 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and on 13 no further response was received.

Khan was also asked about the official car in use before the recent purchase but did not reply.

Attempts to obtain information from Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channer, the deputy speaker, were also unsuccessful.

However, the speaker's personal secretary sent a copy of the regulations governing the purchase of the vehicles to Geo Fact Check earlier this week.

The regulations, titled The Punjab Secretariat Staff Car Regulations 2024, were framed as recently as March 30. They define luxury vehicles as those with an engine capacity exceeding 1800 cc and specify the types of vehicles permitted for various officials, including the speaker and deputy speaker.

According to these regulations, a speaker is entitled to two luxury vehicles, with no restriction on fuel usage, as per the Punjab Provincial Assembly Speaker (Salary, Allowances, and Privileges) Act 1975. Similar benefits apply to the deputy speaker.

The regulations also state that these vehicles may be used to transport foreign delegates, VVIPs, and guests of the speaker and deputy speaker.

However, opposition lawmakers Ali Imtiaz Waraich and Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary, who were present at the assembly’s finance committee meeting where the car purchases were approved, allege while speaking to Geo Fact Check that five vehicles have been purchased: a Toyota Land Cruiser costing Rs90 million for the speaker’s office, two Toyota Fortuners for the deputy speaker and the secretary of the Punjab Assembly, and two Toyota Vigos.

They claim the total expenditure amounts to Rs180 million.

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