Are they common amongst the rich in places like Karachi? I don’t recall people talking about such things or hearing about them back when I was there. I have been out of Pakistan for too long to know if people have started importing them. But I read Dawn and The News from time to time and have yet to come across an article discussing such things..
Don’t you think the business of selling armored cars in Pakistan would be a good idea? They are already sold, and are popular amongst the rich, in places like Mexico and Colombia. Crime in Mexico City is probably not any different than Karachi, so there is a need for such things in Pakistan.
Sure, anyone who wants one in Pakistan can import one, but from what I gathered, the sales of such things really took off in Mexico after local car dealers started offering them. Before, only the ultra rich knew or cared about them. But when car dealers started offering them, the average rich person got interested in them. Some of the armor companies actually moved their employees to Mexico to meet the growing demand. Some of these armored cars even have armed guards inside them, and armed guards were not an uncommon thing in Karachi.
I read an article about how a company is making bank selling such cars in Saudi Arabia. Maybe someone can make lots of money selling such cars in Pakistan.
^ Not sure I understand this. Import of any vehicle is by permission, anyway, practically speaking. Whats special about armored cars?
Is the government worried that people will be safe from bullets, so the cars should not be common-place?
Again practically speaking, anyone who can afford an armored car, or has any need for one, is least likely to be bothered about getting permission from the government. Our government is very flexible to meet the demands of rich and powerful people. Unless, ofcourse, the rich and powerful people belong to the opposition political party (with no chance of coming to power) in which case, all kinds of problems can be expected even for legitimate businesses.
Assalam ALeekum
You are correct I think.
There is book by the name of personal baggage and Import policy(2005-06).
I think this is the name. It says for the of Import of Items like armored car and bullet proof jacket permission of Ministry of Interior is necessary.