Govt defends purchase of 45 bulletproof vehicles for 2027 SCO summit

• Govt says 300 other non-bulletproof vehicles will be hired for summit.
• Describes summit as one of Pakistan’s most significant international events.
• Cites security situation and threats from hostile external elements.

ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday defended its decision to buy 45 bulletproof vehicles for next year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, saying the purchase was the bare minimum needed to protect visiting heads of state and dismissing criticism of it as 'sceptical and unwarranted'.

In a statement issued by the Cabinet Division and also shared by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on social media, the government said the summit, scheduled for August or September 2027, would be one of Pakistan’s most significant international gatherings and should not be underestimated or politicised.

The statement came after the decision to purchase the vehicles drew criticism in the press and on social media.

The Cabinet Division said the SCO summit would be attended by heads of state and government, as well as senior representatives of international organisations, making secure and reliable transport arrangements essential.

It said the requirement for enhanced security was particularly important given Pakistan’s security situation and threats posed by hostile external elements.

Government explains vehicle requirement

The Cabinet Division said the latest bulletproof vehicles currently available were 2016 models and did not meet the standards required for the SCO summit.

The decision to purchase 45 vehicles meeting the required specifications had been considered at several forums, it said, adding that the number had been fixed at the “bare minimum requirement”.

The government will also hire around 300 other non-bulletproof vehicles for the summit, according to the statement.

The clarification follows a series of decisions by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on funding for the vehicles.

Earlier in September, the ECC approved a Rs6.6 billion supplementary grant for 30 bulletproof vehicles after the Cabinet Division initially sought Rs12.6 billion for more than 50 vehicles. The committee asked the division to conduct a detailed assessment and return with any additional requirements, if necessary.

The ECC subsequently approved another Rs3 billion technical supplementary grant for 15 bulletproof sedans, saying the vehicles were necessary for the security of heads of state and stressing the need for timely preparations for the summit.

The committee had also discussed security arrangements followed during the recent SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Kyrgyzstan and vowed to follow suit. 

Taken together, the two approvals account for the 45 vehicles now cited by the Cabinet Division.

Summit seen as major diplomatic event

The Cabinet Division described the SCO Council of Heads of State summit as a highly significant international event, saying that it would be Pakistan’s most high-profile gathering since the 1973 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit.

It said hosting the summit would provide Pakistan with an opportunity to enhance its standing and profile in the international community.

Pakistan assumed the SCO chairmanship for 2026-27 at the organisation’s summit in Bishkek in September, with Islamabad scheduled to host the next Council of Heads of State meeting in 2027.

The government said the scale of the event required arrangements that met the security protocols normally followed during visits by heads of state and government.

The Cabinet Division urged the public to view hosting the summit as an honour for Pakistan and support efforts to organise it appropriately.