June 4, 2005	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, June 3: Former foreign secretary Riaz H. Khokar made the most expensive seven-day trip in 2003 for which the government had to pay Rs2.19 million, revealed the record placed before the Senate here on Friday. The record, placed before the house in response to a question by Senator Ismail Buledi, showed that expenditure on the seven-day trip of Mr Khokar was more than that of any single foreign visit by the minister, state minister and other officials of the Foreign Office during the last two years from April 2003 till May 2005.

The record showed that the London-Hague-Geneva trip made by Mr Khokar in 2003 cost an average of Rs312,997.77 per day, which, at the exchange rate of Rs60 to a dollar, stood at approximately $5,216 per day.

When contacted, the Foreign Office spokesman, Jalil Abbas Jillani, said he would have to check with the administration department to find out the details of the amount given to the foreign secretary and the figures presented before the Senate.

An official of the Foreign Office said the expenses incurred on the single visit of Mr Khokar showed that they were exorbitant and much more than the cost of the air ticket and the travelling and daily allowance admissible to the officers under the rules.

The details as presented before the Senate showed that Mr Khokar made 31 foreign trips from April 2003 to February 2005 at a total cost of Rs5.77 million.

The cost of the foreign visits by the foreign minister, state minister, foreign secretary and other officials during the two years stood at Rs63.15 million.

The breakdown of the figures showed that Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri made 31 foreign trips till February 2005 at a cost of Rs4.3 million.

Mr Kasuri’s visits to the US cost Rs1.2 million. The record showed that the foreign minister stayed for one month and 10 days in the US from September 20 till October 30, 2003 and the government paid Rs289,781 for the trip.

The written response placed before the Upper House said, “the foreign minister and foreign secretary visited the countries mentioned against their names to hold talks on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.”

It further said the other officers made foreign trips to attend important meetings and seminars after getting the approval of the competent authority.

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