Following the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s refusal to accept “substandard” bulletproof vehicles from the federal government, the Sindh Home Department has written to Islamabad requesting that the vehicles be allocated to the province instead.

In its letter, the department stated that Sindh urgently required bulletproof vehicles for the security of foreign dignitaries and VVIPs, adding that the vehicles were essential for ensuring the safety of high-profile guests and key officials.

Earlier on Wednesday, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that the vehicles earlier earmarked for KP would now be redirected to Balochistan to strengthen counterterrorism efforts.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Naqvi said the provision of bulletproof vehicles would enhance the operational capacity of Balochistan’s security forces and police, acknowledging their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

His statement came after Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti noted that the province had been among the hardest hit by terrorism and urgently required additional protective equipment.

Earlier, newly elected KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had refused to accept the three bulletproof vehicles handed over by the Interior Ministry, terming them “substandard” and instructing police to return them.

He said his government would procure new vehicles using provincial resources.

However, official sources clarified that although the vehicles were not new, they were fully serviceable and suitable for operational use.