ISLAMABAD – The luxury vehicles owned by various government departments and used by senior bureaucrats were mysteriously hidden after the Supreme Court sought their details, it emerged on Tuesday.
The shocking disclosure regarding the ‘missing’ vehicles was made by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar on a suo motu notice, observing that the court had received information about 27 such vehicles hidden in a building.
The top judge observed that the additional registrar headed to check the building in question, however, even he was not allowed to inspect the vehicles.
Riled over the mystery, the chief justice declared that the vehicles were hidden after the Supreme Court sought their record.
“The departments that have reportedly hidden their vehicles belong to the Punjab government,” remarked the judge.
Meanwhile, the petitioner who had requested the court to take up the matter stated that the companies accused of hiding government-owned vehicles include National Power Parks Management Company, Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Company and Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab.
Questioning as to why the vehicles were parked inside the building, the CJP directed the additional attorney general to find out who such gave orders.
The top judge – who is actively pursuing matters related to public safety and well being – had directed the federal and provincial cabinet secretaries to submit a record of all ministers and officers using luxury vehicles beyond their official entitlement, on Saturday.
He had also instructed registrars of all high courts to submit any record of the chief justices using a vehicle beyond his entitlement, in a span of fifteen days.
The hearing of the case has now been postponed indefinitely.
