MULTAN: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday defended her use of the provincial government’s aircraft during a recent trip to London, saying she personally paid Rs27.5 million in parking and other expenses related to the aircraft.
Speaking at the inauguration of electric buses in Multan, Maryam said there had been considerable criticism over her use of the aircraft and maintained that no money had been taken from the public exchequer.
“There is a lot of criticism these days about the aircraft. I paid Rs27.5 million herself and the money had not been taken from the public exchequer,” she said.
The chief minister displayed footage on her mobile phone that she described as the paid bill. She said, however, that she was not required to provide the documents to YouTubers or her critics and that the relevant record would be submitted before the appropriate forum.
Maryam travelled to London earlier this month to attend the graduation ceremony of her daughter, Mahnoor Safdar, and returned to Lahore on September 9.
Her use of the Punjab government’s Gulfstream G500 for the family event drew criticism from opposition politicians and other commentators, who questioned the use of an official aircraft for a private trip.
The matter was subsequently raised in the Punjab Assembly, where PTI MPA Waqas Mahmood Maan submitted an adjournment motion seeking a debate over the reported expenditure.
The motion cited media reports estimating the cost of fuel, parking and other related expenses at around Rs12.5 million and sought details of the legal and administrative authority under which the aircraft had been used.
The Punjab government had earlier maintained that Maryam personally bore the expenses of the London trip. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said the chief minister had paid all expenses from her own pocket.
Senior Punjab minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also said the government had already made it clear that Maryam would bear the cost of the visit.
Responding to criticism, Maryam said all four provincial chief ministers had access to government aircraft and questioned why she was being singled out over its use.
She clarified that the aircraft did not belong to her personally but was owned by the Punjab government.
“Maryam Nawaz’s aircraft does not exist; it belongs to the Punjab government,” she said.
The chief minister said she had travelled to Japan and London on the aircraft and would continue to use it in the future.
She also said travelling to London on a commercial flight would have required her to stay there for another six or seven days.
