ISLAMABAD, May 15: Members of the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly raised questions on Tuesday about the use of official bullet-proof vehicles by PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan.

Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz had ordered the purchase of 32 bullet-proof Mercedes cars in 2004-2005 which cost the exchequer a staggering Rs600 million.

Others using the bullet-proof cars include Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne, Senate Chairman Nayyer Bukhari, National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, Chief Minister and Speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister of Balochistan, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Senior Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

The amount spent on purchasing the cars is yet to be regularised.

The matter came up for discussion at the PAC meeting which was held after the hiatus of six months under the new chairman Nadeem Afzal Gondal of the PPP.

As per the official record presented in the meeting by the federal auditor, the former prime minister took a supplementary grant to import the vehicles.

Increasing suicide attacks were given as the reason to provide high-tech bullet-proof cars to senior government functionaries.

The auditors informed the committee that the amount spent was yet to be accepted as a regular expenditure in the government’s account books and for that needed PAC’s endorsement.

Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi said the amount needed settlement because it was spent out of regular earmarking for the prime minister secretariat at that time.

She said that the remaining vehicles were with the prime minister’s secretariat.

Ms Sethi said that besides the original cost of the vehicles, the national kitty continuously suffered because of heavy amounts required on their regular maintenance.

“One time bill of their maintenance is enough to buy a brand new 1600 CC car which under the rules is allowed for all government functionaries,” said the secretary.

Yasmin Rehman of the PPP asked if all these vehicles were being used in violation of rules. In response, Ms Sethi didn’t contend Ms Rehman’s assertions.

When the PPP lawmaker asked the cabinet secretary if she could order taking back these cars, Ms Sethi said it was beyond her domain.

Noor Alam Khan of the PPP said politicians using the bullet-proof vehicles contested elections and what life threats they could possibly face after becoming ministers.

Mr Zahid Hamid of the PML-N said it was unfortunate that such irregularities existed at the top level.

Members of the PAC recommended to the government to make necessary amendments to the policy on the use of government vehicles so that this expenditure of Rs600 million could be regularised at the committee level. Otherwise, the committee directed the secretary to withdraw these luxury cars.

The committee asked the Auditor General of Pakistan to prepare audit paras showing illegal use of public transport by the officials.