ISLAMABAD: In the last week of Ramazan, Pakistan made a record of sorts when most of its top constitutional ‘position holders’ were found to be out of the country.

President Mamnoon Hussain decided to spend the last 10 days of the holy month in Saudi Arabia, travelling between Makkah and Madina.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had been in London since much earlier, recovering from his open heart surgery. He left for UK on May 22.

President, PM, Senate chairman remained away from country in last week of Ramazan

The PPP veteran and Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani also left for Saudi Arabia with his family to perform Umra. After his departure, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq became the second acting president. With the budget session over and the parliament on a summer break, Mr Sadiq also decided to take off on a trip. Reportedly, he decided to spend some time in Germany on a bilateral visit.

However, with the president and acting president (the Senate chairman) still abroad, the speaker was advised to delay his visit until one of the two came back. The decision of stopping Mr Sadiq from proceeding abroad was taken because it was feared that there may be a constitutional crisis – it was unclear who would be president in his absence.

No one can question a Muslim’s right to spend time in Makkah and Madina during Ramazan but surely the duties of a public officeholder should also be considered while taking such decisions. Pakistan is a nuclear power with a population of over 200 million, virtually fighting wars within and on its borders – surely, its ceremonial head of state should stay at home, especially when the elected head was already away.

Also, at a time of fragile civil military relations, on each Eid the ISPR goes into overdrive, informing Pakistanis about the chief of army staff who spends the day with troops at the frontlines while the prime minister usually remains in Saudi Arabia for the last 10 days of the month and returns after Eid. This time when he was in London for the heart surgery, the president and his replacement took off to Saudi Arabia.

The criticism does not end here. There is also the issue of who bears the expense for these pilgrimages. Despite repeated attempts, the media section of the presidency couldn’t be contacted to furnish details about the travel expenditures of the president and the staff members travelling with him.

However, talking to Dawn, an official of the president secretariat said while the president was on a private visit (and paying for it himself), a skeleton staff and security details were accompanying him, who were of course travelling on public expense.

When asked, a public relations officer of the Senate insisted that the Senate chairman and his family were also paying for the Umrah. But was he accompanied by a staff member?

The officer said that an official of the Senate secretariat was with the chairman. He said as it was a private trip, the staff member’s travelling costs would be borne by the chairman Senate. There are also additional protocol duties for such high level public officeholders which Pakistan’s high commissions or embassies in the host country have to perform during the visits.

For example, in the case of the president’s or PM’s visits to Saudi Arabia, the Pakistan embassy in Riyadh will have to depute its staff to facilitate them.

Similarly, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may be staying with his sons in London and paying for his treatment but officials of the prime minister office staying in UK are getting their salaries and other travel related expenditures from the national kitty. Even federal ministers, who were recently summoned by the prime minister, confirmed to Dawn that their travel was paid for by the government.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2016