AIRLINK 184.37 Increased By ▲ 0.51 (0.28%)
BOP 12.12 Increased By ▲ 0.30 (2.54%)
CNERGY 7.46 Decreased By ▼ -0.06 (-0.8%)
FCCL 47.80 Increased By ▲ 1.42 (3.06%)
FFL 16.30 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (0.93%)
FLYNG 28.40 Increased By ▲ 0.62 (2.23%)
HUBC 139.35 Increased By ▲ 4.26 (3.15%)
HUMNL 13.19 Increased By ▲ 0.13 (1%)
KEL 4.63 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.22%)
KOSM 6.32 Increased By ▲ 0.12 (1.94%)
MLCF 60.30 Increased By ▲ 1.13 (1.91%)
OGDC 222.45 Decreased By ▼ -0.61 (-0.27%)
PACE 6.02 Increased By ▲ 0.23 (3.97%)
PAEL 45.59 Increased By ▲ 0.64 (1.42%)
PIAHCLA 18.02 Increased By ▲ 0.36 (2.04%)
PIBTL 10.75 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (0.84%)
POWER 11.82 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (0.77%)
PPL 187.40 Increased By ▲ 0.35 (0.19%)
PRL 36.35 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (0.22%)
PTC 24.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-0.69%)
SEARL 101.30 Increased By ▲ 0.35 (0.35%)
SILK 1.15 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-1.71%)
SSGC 36.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.36 (-0.97%)
SYM 15.75 Increased By ▲ 0.06 (0.38%)
TELE 8.01 Increased By ▲ 0.13 (1.65%)
TPLP 11.35 Increased By ▲ 0.52 (4.8%)
TRG 70.26 Increased By ▲ 3.64 (5.46%)
WAVESAPP 10.90 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (0.74%)
WTL 1.35 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (1.5%)
YOUW 3.77 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-1.05%)
AIRLINK 184.37 Increased By ▲ 0.51 (0.28%)
BOP 12.12 Increased By ▲ 0.30 (2.54%)
CNERGY 7.46 Decreased By ▼ -0.06 (-0.8%)
FCCL 47.80 Increased By ▲ 1.42 (3.06%)
FFL 16.30 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (0.93%)
FLYNG 28.40 Increased By ▲ 0.62 (2.23%)
HUBC 139.35 Increased By ▲ 4.26 (3.15%)
HUMNL 13.19 Increased By ▲ 0.13 (1%)
KEL 4.63 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.22%)
KOSM 6.32 Increased By ▲ 0.12 (1.94%)
MLCF 60.30 Increased By ▲ 1.13 (1.91%)
OGDC 222.45 Decreased By ▼ -0.61 (-0.27%)
PACE 6.02 Increased By ▲ 0.23 (3.97%)
PAEL 45.59 Increased By ▲ 0.64 (1.42%)
PIAHCLA 18.02 Increased By ▲ 0.36 (2.04%)
PIBTL 10.75 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (0.84%)
POWER 11.82 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (0.77%)
PPL 187.40 Increased By ▲ 0.35 (0.19%)
PRL 36.35 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (0.22%)
PTC 24.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-0.69%)
SEARL 101.30 Increased By ▲ 0.35 (0.35%)
SILK 1.15 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-1.71%)
SSGC 36.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.36 (-0.97%)
SYM 15.75 Increased By ▲ 0.06 (0.38%)
TELE 8.01 Increased By ▲ 0.13 (1.65%)
TPLP 11.35 Increased By ▲ 0.52 (4.8%)
TRG 70.26 Increased By ▲ 3.64 (5.46%)
WAVESAPP 10.90 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (0.74%)
WTL 1.35 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (1.5%)
YOUW 3.77 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-1.05%)
BR100 12,534 Increased By 76.1 (0.61%)
BR30 38,809 Increased By 502.8 (1.31%)
KSE100 117,641 Increased By 640.2 (0.55%)
KSE30 36,390 Increased By 255.5 (0.71%)

ISLAMABAD: Amid massive economic crisis and claims of austerity measures, the foreign trips of government ministers, advisers, and special assistants to the prime minister, 99 percent of them belonging to the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led (PML-N) coalition government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), cost the taxpayers Rs70 million within a short span of one year.

In response to a question asked by Ghous Bux Khan Mahar of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) about the details of the foreign trips undertaken by federal ministers, state ministers, advisers, and special assistants to the prime minister, during 2022, the minister in-charge for Cabinet Division, in a written reply said that the total cost of the foreign trips stood at Rs70 million.

The finance gurus of the PML-N-led PDM government who include Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha, the State Minister for Finance and Miftah Ismail, the ex-finance minister of PDM who called it a day when Dar took over as new finance minister on 28 September 2022, are amongst those who lavishly spent the most from the national kitty on their luxurious foreign trips.

Senate panel discusses austerity plans at special session convened by Sanjrani

Among the special assistants, Faisal Karim Kundi, who is the SAPM to the prime minister on poverty alleviation, is the one who spent over Rs2.7 million on his foreign trips within a short span of one year.

The total expenditure incurred on Dar’s foreign trip stood at Rs2.45 million, while his deputy Aisha Ghaus Pasha’s total expenditure on the foreign trips was Rs4.1 million. Miftah Ismail who served for about six months as finance minister departed after spending Rs4.57 million.

However, the break-up given by the Cabinet Division about the details of the ministers’ foreign trips, ostensibly missed the details of a large number of foreign trips of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

It is said that the young foreign minister has so far spent over a billion rupees on his foreign trips to different countries in less than a year.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

Comments

Comments are closed.

Pakistani1 Feb 28, 2023 12:58pm
For a country under financial pressure, there is a need to reduce size, number and duration of all overseas trips. With various platforms now available to have virtual face to face meetings, there is no justification for ANY foreign tour by anyone!
thumb_up Recommended (0)