In Pakistan, lawmaker demands debate over Punjab chief minister’s aircraft
In Pakistan’s Punjab province, opposition lawmaker Waqas Mahmood Maan has submitted a motion to the provincial assembly for an urgent debate over the alleged use of a government aircraft by provincial Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for a private trip to London. As Dawn reports, the lawmaker claims that around 12.5 million Pakistani rupees may have been spent from the state treasury on fuel, aircraft parking and related expenses.
Motion to the assembly
Maan, who represents the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, asked the speaker to consider his motion and bring the issue up for discussion. The document states that, according to media reports, Nawaz travelled to London for her daughter’s graduation ceremony and allegedly used an official Punjab government aircraft.
The lawmaker said that if these reports are true, the case concerns the possible personal use of state resources, alleged abuse of authority, financial discipline and the protection of public funds. He asked the government to explain the nature of the trip, the legal and administrative grounds for using the aircraft, and the budget line from which the expenses were covered.
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Questions over payment
Maan also asked whether the expenditures from the state treasury received the necessary legal and financial approval. He requested that the motion be admitted for consideration so that the circumstances of the alleged expenses could be presented to the assembly.
The Punjab branch of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ain-i-Pakistan movement also demanded explanations. The organization’s information secretary, Shayan Bashir, said that, in his assessment, the government had acknowledged the flight but had not provided confirmation of payment. He asked under which rule the aircraft was provided for private use, who authorized the decision, what amount was paid and to which government account, and where the relevant invoice was.
