The federal government on Wednesday defended its decision to buy 45 bulletproof vehicles for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit, to be held in Islamabad next year, citing the need for the “maximum possible level of protection” given Pakistan’s “security paradigm”.
In a press release, the Cabinet Division said “sceptical and unwarranted comments” had appeared in the press and on social media that “seem to have missed the context and perspective of the purchase”. The government had faced criticism after the plan was announced. Earlier this month, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved a supplementary grant of more than Rs6 billion for the vehicles.
The Cabinet Division described the summit, scheduled for August-September 2027, as among the most high-profile and prestigious international events. It said the gathering would be the largest of its kind in Pakistan since the 1973 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, and would give the country an opportunity to “further raise its stature and honour amongst the comity of nations”.
“The significance of the summit cannot be underestimated, trivialised or politicised,” the statement said. It noted that heads of state, heads of government and representatives of international organisations would attend, making it “imperative to ensure safe, secure and reliable logistics” in line with standard security protocols for such visits.
The statement said the protection of visiting dignitaries was all the more critical in view of the country’s security situation, “in particular the threats posed by hostile external elements”.
The most recent bulletproof vehicles available to the Cabinet Division are 2016 models, which it said were “far below the standards required for the summit”. It added that the number of vehicles had been set after deliberation at several forums and reflected the “bare minimum requirement”. About 300 other vehicles, which are not bulletproof, will be rented.
The press release also said Pakistanis “should be proud of the honour conferred on Pakistan” and support the government’s efforts to host the event in a befitting manner. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif shared the full text of the statement on his X account.
The justification comes weeks after the government re-imposed austerity measures on September 17 to conserve fuel amid renewed tensions in the Middle East. The measures include a complete ban on the purchase of vehicles of all types, although the restriction does not apply to development projects.
