The Sindh cabinet on Saturday imposed a three-year ban on the purchase of new automobiles for government officials but permitted the use of bulletproof vehicles by a select group of high-ranking officials.

The provincial cabinet, under chief minister Murad Ali Shah's stewardship, held a meeting where a series of decisions were taken, chiefly among which were the ban imposed on procurement of new vehicles.

"I want to devise such a strategy in which a government servant, when he becomes a Grade-17 officer, is leased a car," the CM said after the cabinet session. "He will pay the instalments himself, and when the instalments are complete, the car will be his."

"Even the maintenance of the car would be his own responsibility," Shah added.

The cabinet also decided that the governor, chief minister, Sindh chief justice, chief secretary, interior minister, inspector general of police and the two additional IGs should be allowed to use bulletproof vehicles.

If any other minister or official requires bulletproof cars, the cabinet's permission will be sought, it was decided.

Polythene, plastic bags banned in Sukkur

The provincial cabinet also gave its approval to ban the use of polythene and plastic bags, initially only in Sukkur district but with an eye on extending the embargo to Hyderabad and Karachi in the next phase.

"This ban will be implemented in three months," the chief minister said.

"The plastic bags that are OXO-biodegradable should be used," Taimur Talpur, the minister of information science technology, added. "The CM has said that we have to improve our environment.

"The cabinet will engage with traders on this matter."