Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s helicopter rides cost the national treasury Rs 1 billion, a report has said.
The former Pakistan PM has come under scrutiny for his helicopter rides while he held the office. The details of the expenditure were presented before the Pakistani Senate, The Nation reported.
The report said that Khan’s VVIP helicopter flights cost around Rs 1 billion, during trips made from 2019 to 2021 on orders from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The government in a written response to the Upper House said that an amount of Rs.946.3 million was spent on VVIP helicopter missions by 6 Aviation Squadron when Imran Khan was the Prime Minister.
Earlier, the government also informed the Pakistan’s parliament that from 2019 to March 2022, Khan used the official helicopter to commute from his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad to PM House for 1,579.8 hours. An amount of 434.43 million rupees was raised from the treasury during these trips.
The Pakistani government further said that a total amount of Rs 26 million was spent from the official funds on camp offices by former prime ministers since 2008.
The helicopter was used for a total of 1,579.8 flying hours in about four years with an average cost of Rs 275,000 per hour, a report in Dawn said.
The claims come as the Pakistan’s economy is on the brink of an economic chaos and the nation is reeling under heavy debts.
Imran Khan is also facing probe for unlawfully selling gifts received from heads of other nations and foreign dignitaries.
Khan had received expensive gifts from Arab rulers during official visits that were deposited in the state repository.
Later, he bought those at slashed rates following the law and further sold them at hefty profits. He declared the gifts had been procured from the state treasury for Rs 21.56 million and sold for Rs 58 million. The gifts included a Graff wristwatch, a pair of cufflinks, an expensive pen, a ring, and four Rolex watches.
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