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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday about the extravagant spending on foreign trips for cabinet members and the purchase of protocol vehicles during the government’s first nine months in power; just days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a national austerity plan amid a severe financial crisis.
The lower house was informed, in answer to a question posed by Ghous Bux Mahar of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), that 23 members of the federal cabinet had 23 international visits during the first nine months of the coalition government, costing Rs63.71 million.
However, according to the reply submitted by the minister in charge of the Cabinet Division, the list contains only the visits which were routed through the Cabinet Division.
The minister indicated that in order to get “full information,” the inquirer should contact the appropriate divisions.
Because the GDA member had requested information regarding the foreign trips made by federal cabinet members in 2022, the response also included information regarding the travels made by former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ministers (PTI).
The data shows that the foreign visits of the seven members of the previous cabinet under Mr Khan had cost the national exchequer Rs6.26 million.
According to the list, the ministers and the ministers of state who undertook foreign visits during the first nine months in power are Sherry Rehman, Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Shazia Marri, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Asad Mehmood, Syed Naveed Qamar, Israr Tareen, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khurram Dastagir Khan, Dr Musaddik Malik, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Ehsanur Rehman Mazari, Abdul Qadir Patel, Sajid Hussain Turi, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, Aminul Haq, Faisal Sabzwari, former finance minister Miftah Ismail and Special Assistant to the PM Faisal Karim Kundi.
Mr Mahar protested the incomplete reply, stating that he had also asked the minister concerned to state what was the purpose of these visits and “what benefits have been achieved by Pakistan from these foreign visits”. He also questioned the logic behind these visits at a time when the country was facing a serious economic crisis.
“We have no money. We are begging for money; just see how much money has been spent on these visits. What is this nonsense,” asked the GDA member, while waving the copy of the written reply. Mr Mahar also objected to the reply which stated that the details of only those visits had been provided which were routed through the Cabinet Division.
Meanwhile, In response to another question asked by PPP’s Sikandar Ali Rahoupoto, the National Assembly was informed that the present government had purchased a total of eight vehicles at a cost of over Rs57.3 million.
It said that the Cabinet Division secretary approved the purchase of the vehicles after the approval of the Finance Division. These eight vehicles were purchased for use of “protocol duties”. These vehicles include a 29-seater Toyota VIP Coaster, a 14-seater Toyota High-Roof van and six 1800cc Toyota Corolla cars.
