Imposing pickup trucks symbolise Pakistan’s power gulf

In Karachi, cars inch forward in bumper-to-bumper traffic. But some seamlessly carve through the jam: SUVs flanked by Toyota Hilux pickup trucks.

The Hilux has become a symbol of power, affluence and intimidation in a society marked by significant class divisions.

“The vehicle carries an image that suggests anyone escorted by one must be an important figure,” 40-year-old politician Usman Perhyar told AFP.

“It has everything — showiness, added security and enough space for several people to sit in the open cargo bed.” On Karachi’s chaotic roads, Hiluxes part the traffic — speeding up behind cars and flashing their lights demanding drivers move out of their way.

The Hilux first became popular among feudal elites for its reliability in rural and mountain regions.

But in recent years, the “Dala”, as it is locally known, has soared in popularity as an escort vehicle among newly successful urban business owners.

Guards with faces wrapped in scarves and armed with AK-47s can be packed into the back of the truck, its windows blacked out.

“It is a status symbol. People have one or two pickups behind them,” said Fahad Nazir, a car dealer based in Karachi.

Vehicle for politics

The Hilux debuted in 1968, but the model that became popular in Pakistan was the mid-2000s Hilux Vigo.

It was later upgraded and rebranded as the Revo, with prices ranging from Rs10-15 million.

Their prices have remained steady and they retain excellent resale value in a market traditionally dominated by their manufacturer, Toyota.

“Amongst whatever luxury items we have, this is the fastest-selling item,” Nazir told AFP.

Dealers say there was a spike in rentals during February’s national elections.

“I swear to God, you can’t run an election without a Revo,” said PTI MPA Sajjad Ali Soomro.

In Gujrat, PML-N’s Ali Warraich finds it essential to travel with an escort of two of the trucks.

They allow him to navigate off-road terrain to attend dozens of weddings and funerals a month.

“Politics without this vehicle has become nearly impossible,” he tells AFP.

Without one, he argues, potential supporters could question his influence and turn towards competitors.

“As a result, it has become a basic necessity,” he said.

Getting carried away

The truck has also become a trademark in the alleged abduction of dissenting voices, activists told AFP, with the word “Dala” serving as a euphemism for those suspected of being involved in covert operations.

The unmarked cars with plainclothes men inside were used extensively by authorities rounding up senior PTI leaders and officials in recent crackdowns — reinforcing the vehicle’s notorious reputation, one that has been pointed towards by the courts as well.

During a hearing on a missing person’s case in September, Islamabad High Court Justice Babar Sattar had referred to the infamous vehicle’s frequent involvement in such cases, saying: “A Vigo enters a house, a person is abducted, and no one knows what happened, including the SHO. We all know how all of this works.”

One PTI member who was picked up earlier this year said: “Every time I see this vehicle on the road, I go through the same trauma I endured during my custody with agencies.”

Former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan was bundled into a black Dala by Pakistan Rangers when he was arrested in May 2023 in Islamabad, a detention he accused the military leadership of.

He later accused PML-N President Nawaz Sharif of trying to win the general elections “through Vigo Dala” — a swipe alleging the establishment was “carrying” his campaign.

Poet and activist Ahmed Farhad was allegedly taken away in a Hilux after a raid on his home in May by what he claimed were intelligence agencies.

“Sometimes, they park these vehicles around or behind my car, sending a clear message: ‘We are around’,” he told AFP. “A Dala aligns with their business of spreading fear.”

In Karachi, a city rife with street crimes, the imposing Dala deters even outlaws.

“A typical mobile snatcher would opt for maybe looting a car as opposed to a truck,” said 35-year-old automobile enthusiast Zohaib Khan.

Increased street crime has led to more security checks by police, further slowing down movement across the city. But Hiluxes are immune.

Police “don’t typically stop me because they feel that I might be someone who might impact them in a bad way or harm them in some way or the other”, Zohaib said.