October 27, 2003	Monday	Sha’aban 30, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: The government has allowed Federal Food Minister Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind to import a bullet-proof 2,500cc vehicle for personal use in relaxation of import rules, official sources told Dawn on Sunday.

The permission has been granted as a special case after the minister moved a summary, stating that he felt threatened by his tribal enemies.

The sources said the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet directed the commerce division on Saturday to issue an import permit to the minister at the earliest.

Sardar Rind, who hails from Kachhi district of Balochistan, had sent a summary to the ECC, explaining in detail the reasons for his request.

The ministries of finance, commerce and the cabinet division had supported Mr Rind’s request to relax import rules to enable him to import the 2,500cc 1999 model bullet-proof Cherokee jeep from Dubai.

Mr Rind, according to the sources, had said in his brief that he had earlier raised the issue at a cabinet meeting and was advised by the prime minister to move a summary to the ECC for relaxation of rules as a special case.

The sources quoted the minister as stating that his son and father-in-law had been killed by the tribal people due to some dispute and he himself had survived two attempts on his life.