Details of foreign visits of federal ministers released, Bilawal’s missing
Last year government members spent 70 million rupees on foreign trips, list presented in House does not include Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's expenses because PPP claims he bears his own expenses while Ahsan Iqbal's name is also missing from list
Despite country’s financial crisis and economic difficulties, there is no hope of reducing enormous expenditure of government. Last year, 70 million rupees were spent on foreign visits.
In the National Assembly, the Lower House was told that about Rs 70 million had been spent on foreign trips last year on the question of Ghosbakhsh Mehr of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).
On a question from a member of the GDA, the House was informed that during the first 9 months of the PDM alliance, about Rs 64 million had been spent on foreign visits of 23 members of the federal cabinet.
The coalition government of PDM bought 8 vehicles for more than 57 million rupees. Ghous Bakhsh Mehr had sought a complete record of foreign visits of government members in 2022.
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The House was provided details of the visits of former ministers of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). 6.5 million spent on foreign trips of seven ex-cabinet members in 2022.
In the record presented in the House, the name of Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal was revealed that he had visited Switzerland from December 12 to 14, but his name was missing from the list of expenses.
There is no mention of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s visits in the list of expenses. People’s Party claims that Bilawal Bhutto has been paying for his trips from his own pocket.
According to the list, the federal ministers and ministers of state who made foreign visits during the first 9 months of power include Sherry Rehman, Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal and Ayesha Ghos Pasha.
Azam Nazir Tarar, Shazia Murri, Maryam Aurangzeb, Asad Mehmood, Syed Naveed Qamar, Asrar Tareen, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Dr. Mossadegh Malik, Rana Tanveer Hussain also visited foreign countries.
Ghous Baksh Meher protested the incomplete answer. He said that the purpose of foreign visits of ministers should also be explained. Why foreign visits were made during economic difficulties.
On the question of Sikandar Ali Rahopoto of People’s Party, the members of the National Assembly were told that the present government has purchased a total of eight vehicles at a cost of more than 57.3 million rupees.
The House was informed that the Secretary Cabinet Division approved the purchase of vehicles after the approval of the Finance Division. 8 vehicles were purchased for protocol duty use.
The vehicles purchased for protocol duty include a 29-seater Toyota VIP coaster, a 14-seater Toyota high-roof van and six 1800 cc Toyota Corolla cars.
