ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday justified its decision to purchase 45 bulletproof vehicles for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of State moot in Islamabad next year, stressing the need for ensuring “maximum possible level of protection” during the summit and citing Pakistan’s “security paradigm”.

The justification came in a press release by the Cabinet Division, which said “certain sceptical and unwarranted comments have appeared in the press and social media on the purchase of 45 bulletproof vehicles […] which seem to have missed the context and perspective of the purchase”.

The government had drawn criticism after the decision for the planned purchase. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved a supplementary grant of more than Rs6 billion to purchase the bulletproof vehicles earlier this month.

In its press release, the Cabinet Division explained that the SCO’s Council of Heads of State meeting was “amongst the most high-profile and prestigious of international events”.

“The summit, scheduled to be held in Islamabad during August-September 2027 will be the most high profile gathering, second only to 1973 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Summit.”

This would give Pakistan an opportunity to “further raise its stature and honour amongst the comity of nations”, the press release added.

“The significance of the summit cannot be underestimated, trivialised or politicised,” the statement said, noting that the summit would be attended by high-level foreign dignitaries including heads of state, government and international organisations.

This made it “imperative to ensure safe, secure and reliable logistics, well-aligned with the parameters defined as standard security protocols during the visits of heads of state, government and international organisations”, it said.

“Ensuring the maximum possible level of protection becomes all the more critical keeping in view Pakistan’s security paradigm, in particular the threats posed by hostile external elements,” it read.

At present, the press release said, the latest model of bulletproof vehicles available with the Cabinet Division were from 2016, “which are far below the standards required for the summit”.

“The decision to purchase 45 bulletproof vehicles of the requisite specifications was deliberated upon at several forums and the number has been determined on the basis of the bare minimum requirement.

“All other non-bulletproof vehicles, around 300 in number, will be rented,” it said.

The press release further stated that as “Pakistanis, we should be proud of the honour conferred on Pakistan and support the government’s effort to organise it in a befitting manner”.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also shared the full text of the press release on his X account.

The justification comes weeks after the government re-imposed austerity measures on Sept 17, in an effort to conserve fuel amid renewed tensions in the Middle East.

As part of the austerity measures, the government also imposed a complete ban on the purchase of vehicles of all types, with the restriction not applicable to development projects.