Maryam Nawaz explains use of government aircraft in Pakistan — Dawn
In Multan, Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz responded to criticism over her use of a government aircraft to travel to London for a family event. She said that provincial chief ministers and prime ministers are never on vacation, and that she paid the expenses related to the trip herself.
As Dawn reports, opposition politicians questioned the use of a provincial government aircraft for a private visit to London, where Nawaz attended her daughter’s graduation ceremony. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari rejected the allegations and said that the trip was paid for from Nawaz’s personal funds.
Explanation regarding the aircraft
Speaking at a ceremony in Multan on September 17, Nawaz said that the aircraft does not belong to her personally, but to the office of the provincial chief minister. According to her, this option is available to the leaders of all four provinces of Pakistan.
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Nawaz also said that the aircraft, valued at 9 billion Pakistani rupees, is a resource of the chief minister’s office. She stressed that the time needed to travel between cities in the province is important to her and claimed that she continues working during flights.
Trip expenses
The Punjab chief minister said that the total expenses amounted to 27.5 million Pakistani rupees and displayed a receipt on her phone. She also said that she would not take the aircraft with her after the end of her term.
According to Nawaz, on the day she returned to Pakistan, several commercial flights were canceled due to problems in the United Kingdom’s air traffic control system. She claimed that passengers on such flights would have had to extend their stay by five to six days.
