Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, made a notable decision on Friday, ordering the auction of two luxury vehicles allocated for his use by the federal and Punjab governments.
In a letter sent by the Supreme Court registrar to the federal government cabinet secretary and Punjab chief secretary, CJP described these expensive vehicles as an “inappropriate splurge of scarce public resources.”
The letter detailed the vehicles: a Mercedes Benz 2996 CC sedan purchased for Rs61 million in September 2020 and a brand-new bullet-proof Toyota Land Cruiser provided by the Government of Punjab. Justice Isa has not used both vehicles, considered an extravagant expenditure given Pakistan’s economic context.
Justice Isa, who took oath as the 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan in September of this year, following the retirement of his predecessor, Umar Ata Bandial, holds a brief tenure that will end on October 25, 2024. He initially joined the apex court as a judge on September 5, 2014. His decision to auction these vehicles and direct the proceeds towards public transport reflects his commitment to prudent public resource management.
*Additional news input was taken from GeoNews
