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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that Rs29.765 million had been incurred on the VVIP flight to bring Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif back to the country from London after his treatment there.
The prime minister had returned home on July 9 this year from London after staying there for around one-and-a-half months for his medical treatment.
He had undergone an open heart surgery at a London hospital on May 31 and returned to Lahore from London in a special aircraft of the national flag carrier.
During the question-hour session, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, speaking on behalf of Minister in charge of the Aviation Division, informed the house that Rs 29.765m had been incurred on the VVIP flight that brought the prime minister back to the country.
Examine: What about us, Mr Prime Minister?
He was responding to a question asked by PPP lawmaker Musarat Rafique Mahesar, who had sought details of the expenditure incurred to bring back the prime minister from London aboard the special charted plane and details of the amount paid as parking fees at the London airport.
In the reply, the minister said that amount had been calculated on the cost-to-cost basis and not on the basis of average revenue being earned.
He further said that the average revenue earning at the time had been Rs18.2m. The minister, however, said that no parking fees had been paid at London airport.
MQM lawmaker Sajid Ahmed criticised the prime minister for going abroad for medical treatment. “Why can’t we build such hospitals in Pakistan?” he asked.
Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2016
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Comments (27) Closed
Nov 29, 2016 08:06am
I am sure if they spent that much money on a hospital here they could cure cancer
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Nov 29, 2016 08:18am
So what if this amount was spent? He is the PM. He rightly deserves to be taken care of in this manner. So please stop casting unnecessary and unethical blames on him or comparing him with ordinary citizens, because he is not an ordinary citizen. Look at his achievements in life. None of us can match his accomplishments in any profession or entrepreneurship.
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Nov 29, 2016 08:24am
Sad.
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Nov 29, 2016 08:43am
Why I am not surprised ?
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Nov 29, 2016 08:52am
Nothing wrong with that. Look how much gulf rulers spend on themselves.
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Nov 29, 2016 08:57am
What a simplicity !!!
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Nov 29, 2016 09:01am
Bravo PM, keep it up... :)
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Nov 29, 2016 10:02am
@Muhammad gulf rulers are not spending from the tax the common man is paying.
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Nov 29, 2016 10:52am
I have never heard of any decent politician going for private treatment and using vvip plane at tax payers expense.
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Nov 29, 2016 11:01am
pity... they will still win the next election
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Nov 29, 2016 11:26am
Good ... Keep it up!
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Nov 29, 2016 01:12pm
@Muhammad
Look also how much gulf rulers spend on education, health, etc.
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Nov 29, 2016 02:20pm
And then he cries for miseries of poor people...
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Nov 29, 2016 02:28pm
@Erik I am not sure if you are serious or this is out of sarcasm, he is not ordinary citizen, he is lower than an ordinary citizen he is there to serve the ordinary citizen. I agree he does need to travel and other stuff like security etc.. but this amount is way too much regardless of who you are. When its wrong, call it wrong, otherwise we are destined to be doomed. However i dont think he has added anything to our country or society in personal capacity, whatever he has done was his job. I bet you you have done more for the country than him.
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Nov 29, 2016 02:30pm
@ERIK. Are you in your senses? He deserves to spend the tax payer's money just like that???? Who said this and who gave him the right? And what is so special about him that makes him an extra ordinary citizen? What a disgrace!
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Nov 29, 2016 02:44pm
It is absurd to think that similar treatment can not be given in Pakistan. If one wishes to have such treatment outside Pakistan he must pay all extra costs including air fare even if he is prime minister of Pakistan.
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Nov 29, 2016 02:45pm
this is what they are saying, imagine what would be the actual cost. this is also why the PM is making an hospital where he and other VIP get treated at home without recurring so much travel and other charges. he is PM, he can do all this, what about the poor ?? where they should go ??
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Nov 29, 2016 03:07pm
One more charge, on the long list of charges of corruption, mismanagement, loot and plunder of the country under this government. And to sustain this spend-thrift and luxurious lifestyle for one family, the government keeps drowning the nation in more and more debt!
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Nov 29, 2016 03:33pm
Mr. Prime Minister, please forgive the ordinary people of Pakistan. They did you no wrong. In fact they elected you in office. Please don't do this.
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Nov 29, 2016 03:34pm
A first-class ticket on PIA from LHR-LHE would have cost Rs. 300,000 for one person? Even if ten people in his entourage and 'offshore government offices' had to be moved back to Pakistan, the expense to the tax payer would have been a digestible Rs 3-4 million at best. Nearly 30 million rupees is highly irresponsible expense that Sharif should pay from his own pocket.
The people didn't force him to seek treatment in London. But he chose that despite available facilities within the country. That is the crux of the argument and another vivid example of corruption.
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Nov 29, 2016 03:35pm
Poor people tax money spent on VVIP culture. Shame on them!
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Nov 29, 2016 04:45pm
Is it any wonder PIA is flying literally on financial fumes, as planes are being used for private purposes by the ruling family, which is nothing more than a shameless monarchy pretending to be democratic. Where else would an elected PM get away with such abuse of power?
Just look around. The PM of South Korea is about to be booted out of office for corruption. There is a vote of no-confidence under way, to oust President Jacob Zuma in South Africa for misappropriating public funds for personal purposes. The President of Brazil Delma Rousef was disqualified and impeached for exactly similar reasons.
But in Pakistan, the public is so docile that they allow themselves to be robbed in broad daylight, without blinking. And yet they complain about difficulty in making ends meet; high taxes they pay and corruption in the government?
Something is not quite right in this picture.
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Nov 29, 2016 06:22pm
No official should be allowed treatment abroad on tax payers expense. PM should pay for his own expense abroad. As a benefit they should get free treatment at domestic hospitals.
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Nov 29, 2016 11:25pm
He is technically entitled to avail it as he is the serving P.M. and that each serving Bureaucrat or even a peon in an government setup is not hesitating to get the dues after undergoing a medical procedure, it is another issue, how much we callousely inflate the invoices with the tacit approval of the individual concerned. After all the state is like a father who cares not for the ordinary ilk but also for the people on the positions of power. I am sure the PPP law maker is not legging behind in recieving his own entitlments but one thing which completely irritates me is the fact it is easy to spew venom on others than chewing the bitter pill by someone himself. were the lawmaker is sincerely committed to the idea of setting such a places of treatment in our own country than he would have been chapioning it in a time when his party was in power. His government has done nothing thereby proving the fact that his objection is nothing than a political rhetoric devoid of substance.
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Nov 30, 2016 01:16am
PM Nawaz Sharif could have easily been treated in Pakistan, and that would have set a great example for all others. Yet he went to London for treatment, wasting tax payers money. There was no justification for him to make 20 trips to London in three years, the only reason was he wanted to handle his secret Panama and Swiss bank accounts. Therefore, he must fully "reimburse" the amount used for his trips. Not doing so would be abusing tax payers money, which would be criminal.
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Nov 30, 2016 08:08am
@imran Syed it was epic sarcasm
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Nov 30, 2016 04:31pm
@Erik ...Then i suppose all in favor of this expenditure should pay for his expenses from their own taxable amount but we don't allow him to use our hard earned income to be taxed to bear his lavish lifestyle atleast.
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