ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The caretaker government on Tuesday allowed politicians to import bullet-proof cars without paying additional customs duty.

A notification issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said that bullet-proof vehicles with other security features would be treated as normal vehicles of the same make and model without such features.

However, 10 per cent of the value of the cost of bullet proofing and security features will be added to the import trade price (IPT) of the vehicles for normal duty assessment.

A no-objection certification (NOC) is required from the federal interior ministry for the import of new cars.

In case of used vehicles with such features, permission from the commerce ministry is required.

A source in the interior ministry said the number of applications seeking the no objection certificate had increased manifold over the past few months following the growing terrorist attacks on government officials and politicians.

A senior customs official said the duty concession would vary depending on the engine capacity and value of the vehicles.

He said that the 10 per cent value addition for duty assessment would be insignificant considering that the original customs duty went into millions.