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