KARACHI   -   The Sindh High Court (SHC) has halted the implementation of a notification regarding the purchase of 138 double-cabin vehicles for Assistant Commissioners until the next hearing.

The SHC heard the case filed by Jamaat-e-Islami member of the Sindh Assembly Muhammad Farooq through his counsel Usman Farooq.

The court has given the involved parties four weeks to respond to the petition. The case revolves around a letter issued by the Sindh Government’s Services, General Administration & Coordination Department (SGA&CD), requesting the release of funds for the purchase of these vehicles. The petitioner Muhammad Farooq raised concerns over the allocation of public funds for the purchase prompting the court to intervene.

Sindh govt’s decision to purchase vehicles for ACs challenged

The Sindh government’s decision to purchase 138 double-cabin vehicles for Assistant Commissioners (ACs) has been challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC).

As per details, the petition, filed by Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq, argued that the purchase is unnecessary and a waste of public funds.

The petition stated that the country’s economy is under pressure, and the Sindh government’s decision to buy luxury vehicles for its officers is unreasonable. It further stated that taxpayers’ money should be spent on public welfare, healthcare, and education instead.

The petitioner has requested the court to suspend the Sindh government’s notification and order the authorities to spend the funds on welfare projects instead. The Sindh government, Chief Secretary, Secretary Finance, and Board of Revenue have been made parties in the petition. Earlier on September 5, the Sindh government decided to buy new vehicles worth Rs2 billion for assistant commissioners

As per details, Sindh’s general administration department has penned a letter to the finance department for the release of Rs2 bln for buying new double cabin vehicles for 138 assistant commissioners.

The assistant commissioners will use the new vehicle for their day-to-day office work.

Following the widespread criticism, the spokesperson for the Sindh government said in a statement that assistant commissioners are in charge of making sure the government apparatus runs well in remote locations and that they are an important part of the administrative structure. The spokesman continued, “The assistant commissioners’ last vehicle purchases were made in 2010 and 2012, and the majority of the vehicles are now out-of-date and in poor condition.”

Due to a shortage of operational government vehicles, many officials are compelled to use private automobiles for official work, and others are still utilizing vehicles from 2005.

“The move is necessary to ensure the effective implementation of government policies and decisions,” the spokesperson added.

The Sindh government maintained that the new vehicle purchase would not only reduce maintenance costs but also lead to significant savings in fuel and other expenses. The provincial government emphasised that the decision is not a luxury but a necessity to ensure the effective functioning of the administration.