ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: As many as 21 ministers and advisers cost the nation Rs7.17 million by visiting different countries soon after the installation of the Jamali government, the National Assembly was told here on Friday.

Replying to a question of Maulana Abdul Malik, Minister in charge of the Cabinet Division Raza Hayat Hiraj told the House that 13 ministers, six state ministers and two advisers to the prime minister undertook foreign visits from November 23, 2002 to May 20, 2003, the total expenditure of which amounted to Rs7,171,925.

The information provided to the Lower House indicated the expenditure incurred on the visit of each cabinet member, but did not mention which country the ministers and the advisers had visited.

The detail of expenditure incurred on the visits of the ministers and the advisers is as follows:

MINISTERS: Foreign minister Mian Khurshid Kasuri, Rs1.3 million, minister for commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan, Rs1.02 million; defence minister Rao Sikander Iqbal, Rs351,053; finance minister Shaukat Aziz, Rs577,167; minister for food, agriculture and livestock Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, Rs206,109; health minister Mohammad Nasir Khan, Rs572,927; minister for industries and production Liaqat Ali Jatoi, Rs303,219; information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Rs471,545; interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, Rs551,879; minister for labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis Abdul Sattar Laleka, Rs302,473; minister for petroleum Noraiz Shakoor, Rs114,369; minister for railways Ghous Bakhsh Mahar, Rs134,753. The expenditure incurred on the visit of Water and Power Minister Aftab Sherpao were, however, borne by the Government of Japan and UNHCR.