Govt to Buy Rs. 9.5 Crore Worth Bulletproof Car for Chinese Security

The federal government has approved the purchase of a bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser worth Rs. 95.049 million to strengthen security arrangements for Chinese nationals and visiting delegations associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The vehicle will be allocated to the CPEC Secretariat, with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal saying the protection of Chinese citizens remains one of the government’s top priorities.

According to Express Tribune, the new Land Cruiser will be in addition to the existing fleet of bulletproof vehicles and at least two helicopters that are being used, or are in the process of being acquired, for the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

The CPEC Secretariat said the Cabinet Division’s existing pool of bulletproof vehicles is insufficient, often causing delays or disruptions to official meetings, foreign delegations, and high-level engagements. It added that renting bulletproof vehicles from the private sector is both expensive and unreliable.

The government decided to purchase the vehicle through direct contracting under Rule 42(c)(vii) of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules. Three Toyota dealers submitted bids, with Toyota Central Motors emerging as the lowest bidder at Rs. 95.049 million, ahead of Toyota Port Qasim and Toyota Society.

The CPEC Secretariat did not have sufficient funds for the purchase, prompting the Ministry of Planning to reallocate Rs. 58.3 million from several development projects, including the Centre of Excellence for CPEC, the Federal SDGs Programme, the Monitoring and Evaluation Project, and the Policy Research Grants Programme. The reallocated amount also included Rs. 6.2 million originally earmarked for the salaries of contract employees.

Although the funds were arranged, the purchase order could not be issued before the close of the previous fiscal year because the required approvals were not completed in time.