ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Wednesday approved duty-free imports of 35 armoured vehicles – which is an act of defiance against a Supreme Court ruling.
The apex court, on August 18, restrained the federal government from taking fiscal decisions without prior cabinet’s approval and despite the ruling, the ECC approved the import of 35 bulletproof vehicles from Germany and waived off all taxes and duties.
However, the Supreme Court defined the federal government as ‘a collective entity comprised of the cabinet, prime minister and federal ministers’ so the ECC – being just a body of the cabinet – cannot be described as federal government.
The summary for the import of the vehicles moved by the Foreign Ministry was not made part of the ECC’s agenda. “For the upcoming SAARC conference and other future events, the ECC approved exemption – from all taxes and duties – on the import of armoured vehicles for international dignitaries,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
The finance ministry granted Rs 821.9 million to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in January for the said purpose. The government, however, claimed that the imported-vehicles were for foreign dignitaries – attending November’s SAARC conference – but the total number of vehicles suggests that top government officials are likely to use them.
Sources said the issue of implications of the top court order was raised in the ECC meeting but its Chairperson – and Finance Minister – Ishaq Dar went ahead with the decision to approve ‘duty-free import’ of the vehicles.
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