Purchase of over 1,000 vehicles for FBR stopped, Senate panel told

The government on Thursday stopped procurement of around 1,100 vehicles for employees of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) till the finalisation of an investigation into allegations of malfeasance, threats to the whistleblowing senator and raids on a rival car manufacturer. This was the crux of a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance & Revenue in which the finance minister pledged to stick to a commitment made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Senator Saleem Mandviwala chaired the meeting. A major part of the discourse centred around the “scandalous” purchase process of 1,010 vehicles by FBR for its field staff. The number of cars was subsequently raised by another 70, taking the total number to 1,080.