The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan next week in connection with an ongoing inquiry against the alleged misuse of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's helicopters for private visits by the PTI chief.
A notice has been issued to Khan to appear before NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on July 18, an official confirmed to DawnNewsTV.
NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had in February this year directed the bureau’s KP director general to conduct an inquiry against the PTI chief and then-KP chief minister Pervez Khattak over unofficial use of two government helicopters — MI-17 and Ecureuil — by misusing authority.
A press release issued by the bureau had stated that there is documentary evidence that Khan paid Rs2.1 million for using an Mi-17 and an Ecureuil helicopter belonging to the KP government for a total of 74 hours, which amounts to Rs28,000 spent for every hour the helicopters were used.
The NAB report claims that had Khan used a private company's choppers, it would have cost him an hourly fare of between Rs1m and Rs1.2m for the Mi-17, and between Rs0.5m and Rs0.6m for the Ecureuil.
Citing Pervez Khattak's principal adviser on technical training and aviation, the report added that the use of KP helicopters can cost as much as Rs0.2m per hour.
It claimed that Khan should have paid the KP government Rs11.1m, but official documents only mention payments worth Rs2.1m.
According to sources, the PTI chief was served summons after the NAB chairman approved an application in this regard by the bureau's KP chapter.
Khan had claimed at a party meeting that he had not used official helicopters of the PTI-led KP government for personal use.
Former chief minister Khattak has previously appeared before NAB in connection with the inquiry as well. An inquiry had been ordered against him to ascertain if he had the power to hand over 'sensitive' assets such as choppers for non-governmental usage.
