PM’s seven foreign visits in three months cost exchequer Rs168m
33
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s seven official foreign visits in less than three months last year cost the national exchequer Rs168.1 million, official data reveals.
According to the record shared with the National Assembly by the Foreign Ministry, these visits had been undertaken between Sept 16 and Nov 30 last year.
The prime minister visited Turkey from Sept 16 to 18 and Rs4.6m was spent. He travelled to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session from Sept 22 to 29 and Rs80.7m was spent, the most expensive of all visits undertaken by him so far during his current stint as the chief executive.
He was expecting to meet US President Barrack Obama on the sidelines of the UNGA, but it did not happen. He just could get a chance to shake hands with the US president at a dinner Mr Obama had hosted for the visiting world leaders.
Mr Sharif travelled to the US again from Oct 19 to 24 for a bilateral meeting with the US president. An amount of Rs35m was spent on the visit. Days after the visit, he went to the United Kingdom from Oct 29 to 31 to attend the ninth world Islamic Economic Forum. The cost of the visit was Rs25.1m.
The prime minister’s visit to Sri Lanka to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from Nov 14 to 17 cost Rs11.8m.
His three-day visit to Thailand for the Connect Asia Pacific Summit and bilateral meetings cost Rs9.7m.
The cost of his daylong visit to Afghanistan on Nov 30 was Rs1.2m.
In all, the prime minister has undertaken nine visits from July last year to Feb 15 this year.
An amount of Rs26.2m was incurred on his visit to China from July 3 to 8.
Most recently, he travelled to Turkey for a trilateral summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey from Feb 12 to 15. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to receive details of the expenses.
In all, an amount of Rs194.3m was spent on his eight visits abroad, excluding the visit to Turkey.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (33) Closed
Mar 04, 2014 06:46am
I thought it was only Mr. Zardari who loved foreign trips but it seems our current PM is determined to dethrone Ex-President. Great going for a PM of a country on the verge of bankruptcy.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 07:12am
Did all these trips cost Pakistani Rupee or precious Foreign Exchange?. Why they are reporting in Rupee.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 07:42am
The lion of Punjab should be made to pay for these
overseas trip. After all, he is the 4th. richest man in
the country. With $1.4 billion and counting.
[er..that is $1.4 billion US.]
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 08:31am
place him permanently abroad as he is no good once here also!!!
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 09:20am
This is what happen when you elect unethical leaders who have no moral values what so ever. They suck nations blood in the name good governance, economic activites, islam or what ever they want to call it. As a nation we are bunch of lost....... But the most amazing part is that we keep trusting them year over year and try to convict Mushraf under article 6 for his contribution to excleent economic development in the history of Pakistan. Shame on our leaders but even more shame on us for electing them. Why we didnt have an uprising against these blood suckers. These 168 million could be spent on sick people dying to get treatment in governament hospitals.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 09:22am
Nine foreign visits for less than $2 million. That means about $200,000 per visit. This is quite reasonable for a prime minister and his entourage.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 09:27am
Can some one break down these expenses ?
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 10:05am
Lost at words on spoiling of national resources. Instead of stopping blood shed in Pakistan, PM is treating him self abroad.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 10:05am
@S.G.:
Probably appropriate for American president but not for a country where 1/3 population lives below poverty.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 10:18am
That's only $1.6 Million. It probably costs 10x that amount for 1 foreign trip of any other leader of a country. Let's not cry foul where its not due.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 10:57am
These are not fully loaded costs.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 11:22am
@ Imtiaz
We did not elect him. He rigged his way into the office. So shame on these leaders
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 11:24am
Will the reporter tell us how many billion dollars (US$ 50 billion) China alone has pledged to invest? And will he tell how much Turkey and others are investing? This is not only negative but is anti-state reporting.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 11:40am
Foreign trips are important now, he will not visit this much in future. Our poor image in the world require high level contact to ensure some friendly links are still present.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 12:07pm
@Salman:
Sorry wont agree with you, the fact remains that he should get his house in order before travlling the world. When the US president travels he does not take his entire cabnite with him!.
Apart from this, can you tell me how many times have the sharifs been seen in the parliment? take a guess!
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 12:12pm
After all he is the Amir-ul-Momineen & spending such an amount is simply a piece of cake for him.Undoubtedly they are in this world to rule & not to share
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 12:30pm
What has he achieved?
Only travelling in Luxury with lots of yes men!!
WE MET WE TALKED AND ARE HAD MEETING IN FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 12:54pm
@These are only pledges for domestic consumption. in facts there is zero investment from foreign countries.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 01:09pm
There is no doubt that the political leaders are living a very different life then the people who are stuggling on a daily basis. Politics is, sadly, a very lucrative business in Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 01:22pm
Probably it's just an FYI news but the nation doesn't want to know all this. It's a country of GDP worth trillions of rupees.
A good reporting would have been in terms of money spent vs. value of deals committed and signed. Or even resolution of a dispute that put's the nation forward.
Apart from all this, we truly needs an implementation plan of best international practices of all laws that already exists in our country i.e. traffic laws, bringing small businesses into tax network (ideally a daily tax collection methodology signed with all banks), structure each neighborhood in such a manner that supports the residents and the authorities.
I live in a neighborhood of Karachi that can become way better than Singapore by all means, Karachi overall and all other urban cities including the rural ones have infinite potential to generate revenue just by reorganizing businesses into a uniform structure.
Saddar of Karachi for instance, if you look from a certain perspective is not even 30% properly utilized that can itself become a Manhattan of Asia.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 01:25pm
And i wonder what good these visits have done for us?? I see nothing.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 01:56pm
@S.G.:
ENTOURAGE : is this a sofisticated form of bribe ?
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 02:09pm
What about the expenses on foreign trips by other members of Sharif Family?
Shahbaz Sharif's trips to India and China along with his son Salman Shahbaz
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 02:13pm
It reminds me that this PM took more than 50 folks on-board to UN Assembly in New York in 1998. And who paid the bills? The middle class tax payer??
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 02:36pm
Actually they are not the elected leaders. These are the opportunists. Their entry is only due the PUNCTURES laid down the then govt. They are laterally entered always.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 03:23pm
Actually it is only Pound sterling 960,000. Oh come on that is not bad considering the "mehngai" all over the world. Claridges in London charges Pound Sterling 6,000 for a room per night. Add bits and pieces like a buttler service, cheese board for the night binge and other night binges, the meter goes up. Guys, hotels have to make a living too. Be fair.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 04:51pm
The corruption is more than ever and these leaders are never think one moment that how many poor people that money could support? Or health care system/education?
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 05:08pm
Wonder how he spent 1.2 million on a day in Afghanistan!?!?
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 06:51pm
@NMA:
We live in the new world of technology - Why can't these people use on tele conf./on line meetings etc. These people need to get out of 19th century.
Recommend
0
Mar 04, 2014 09:05pm
His election to the PM Office is questionable, however, whatever form of democracy we have, it is acceptable. He is our PM and deserve an opportunity to work, travel and decide however he deems fit for the betterment of the country. Progress can't happen overnight. Wait for the results. Come election time, If not happy make sure not only vote, but educate others how and why to vote. Only a civilize approach at all levels will help Pakistan shape her destiny.
Recommend
0
Mar 05, 2014 07:17am
@NMA:
a diamond watch was drop shipped for begum in Afghanistan thatthis pour soul had to pick up and bring back
Recommend
0
Mar 06, 2014 09:36am
@TAM:
Quoting a rate of 6,000 Pounds a night (which is more than one million rupees a night) is incorrect. 90% of decent hotel rooms in London cost less than 500 Pounds/night. Even in Claridges Hotel in London you will have difficulty in finding a suite over 2,000 Pounds/night. For the Prime Minister of one of the poorest countries in the world to spend this kind of money is criminal. Let us not forget that he average income of a Pakistani is around USD 3,000/year (less than half of a Sri Lankan) and to spend more than that in a night is nothing short of a crime. The fact that he has properties in London where he could stay without costing any money to the tax payer is also something we should remember. You also forgot to mention that the Queen of England usually travels in a regular British Airways flight, why is it that our PM travels in private planes. Poor Pakistan has never had sincere politicians. Do you think Jinnah would be proud of Nawaz Sharif's spending habits?.
Recommend
0
Mar 07, 2014 07:49pm
Come on!!!
What you want a Prime Minister to do if he has to sit back in an office only? He went to the United States of America for an official trip and made official agreements for the nation. He made a trip to China and won contracts worth billions of dollars (not rupees). He visited the EU countries and won lobbied for the GSP+ status. He visited several countries to lobby for the resolution against the drone attacks to be passed in the UNGA and he made it.
Each civilian life lost to drones (if any) is cost more than all the expenses on these foreign trips combined.
If someone has a better plan for lobbying other than making trips, then come up with it or maybe, for a change, TRY NOT TO CRY over each and everything the government does in this country.
Recommend
0
