ISLAMABAD: A statement issued by the Senate Secretariat on Monday in response to reports about a luxury vehicle for Yousaf Raza Gilani has added to the confusion rather than resolving it, as it largely reaffirmed key details already circulating in the media.
The clarification came after reports claimed that a vehicle identified as a Toyota Land Cruiser worth around Rs90 million had been purchased for the Senate chairman using public funds. The reports also cited Gilani as saying the car had been ordered in May last year, financed through savings from the previous Senate budget.
In its response, the Senate Secretariat dismissed the reports as “misleading” and “factually incorrect,” alleging they were based on incomplete information and ill intent. However, it did not clearly identify which aspects of the reports were inaccurate.
Instead, the statement confirmed that the vehicle was indeed procured in May 2025 during the 2024–25 financial year. It further noted that the purchase was carried out through a “transparent procurement process” as part of a broader plan to replace official vehicles.
According to the Secretariat, the replacement initiative was not limited to the chairman alone but also included vehicles allocated to key positions such as the deputy chairman, leaders of the House and opposition, committee chairpersons, and the Senate Secretariat.
Despite reaffirming most of the reported details, the rebuttal notably avoided mentioning the vehicle’s cost, leaving the central controversy unresolved and prompting further public scrutiny.
