Islamabad (October 1, 2026): The government of Pakistan has defended its decision to purchase 45 new bulletproof vehicles and hire 300 non-bulletproof vehicles for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, saying the arrangements were necessary to ensure secure transportation for visiting heads of state, heads of government and senior international officials. The government said the purchase had been subjected to unnecessary and speculative criticism without considering the security requirements and significance of the summit.

According to the Finance Ministry, a supplementary grant of 6.6 billion Pakistani rupees was approved on September 8 for the purchase of 30 bulletproof vehicles. On September 14, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) considered a Cabinet Division proposal for a further 3 billion rupees in technical supplementary funding to purchase 15 additional bulletproof sedans. The total allocation for the 45 vehicles therefore amounts to 9.6 billion rupees.

Government's Position

According to the Cabinet Division, Pakistan is currently chairing the SCO Council of Heads of State, with heads of state, heads of government and senior officials from international organisations expected to attend the summit. The government said secure, reliable and effective transportation meeting international security standards was essential for such a high-level gathering, particularly given the security challenges facing Pakistan. The Cabinet Division said its newest available bulletproof vehicles were 2016 models and did not meet the security standards and requirements considered necessary for the summit. It said the number of 45 vehicles had been determined after consideration at various forums and represented the minimum requirement. In addition to the bulletproof vehicles, the government plans to hire 300 non-bulletproof vehicles for the summit.

Debate Over the Spending

The decision has generated discussion on social media, with some users questioning the cost of the vehicles and the government's austerity policy. Former senator Mushahid Hussain Syed criticised the decision, questioning the need to purchase such a large number of luxury vehicles for the summit. Other social media users have asked what would happen to the vehicles after the SCO summit and whether sufficient transparency and public oversight would be maintained during the procurement process. Some users, however, argued that providing vehicles meeting required security standards is a necessary measure when hosting foreign heads of state and senior officials. The government has maintained that the purchase was made to meet the security and transportation requirements of the high-level international summit.