ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: President Asif Ali Zardari paid from his pocket the Rs25 million spent on the 188-member entourage that accompanied him on his Umra pilgrimage recently, the government told the National Assembly during the Question Hour on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi placed details of the expenditure and the names of the 188 people before the house in reply to a question put by MNA Faiz Mohammad Khan.
An annexure provided with the reply stated that the amount went to pay for a PIA chartered flight, accommodation, transport, Ahrams etc for the entourage and tips to porters.
Actual amounts paid were Rs19,832,680 for the chartered flight, Rs2,930,997 for accommodation, Rs1,728,000 for transport and Rs486,760 for ‘miscellaneous charges'.
Members of the entourage under the heading of federal ministers and officials included; Mr and Mrs Ch Ahmed Mukhtar, federal minister for defense, Mr Farooq H Naik, federal minister for law and justice, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, federal minister for local government, Dr Babar Awan, federal minister for parliamentary affairs and his Mother, Ms Yasmin Akhtar, Senator Ismail Buledi, Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi, advisor to the prime minister on religious affairs, Mr & Mrs Syed Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker, National Assembly, Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, federal minister for labour and manpower, Mr and Mrs Rehman Malik, advisor to the prime minister on interior, Mr and Mrs Shaukat Tarin, advisor to the prime minister on finance, Mr and Mrs Dr Asim Hussain, advisor to the prime minister on petroleum, Mr and Mrs Muhammad Salman Faruqi, special secretary to the president, Mr and Mrs Salman Bashir, foreign secretary, Mr and Mrs Salim Mahmood, PS to the president, Mr and Mrs G.A Sabri, secretary petroleum and natural resources, Mr and Mrs Omer Khan Alisherzai, wife of additional secretary (ME) ministry of foreign affairs, Mr Ghalib Iqbal, Chief of Protocol, Brig Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain, military secretary to the president.
Five members of the National Assembly were also part of the group which includes, Madam Rukhsana Bangash, Ms Farhanaz Asfahani, Ms Fauzia Habib, Mr and Mrs Riaz Fatiyana.
Two ministers from the province of the Punjab were also part of the entourage which includes Raja Riaz, Senior Minister, Punjab government and Mr Tanvir Ashraf Kaira. However, Mr Owais Muzafar Tuppy has been quoted as a relative.
Dr Abdul Qayyum Soomro, Mr Rizwan Qureshi, Maj, Raja Ahmed Jahenzaib, Mr Gul Khan and Mr Bilal Khan have been put under the heading of staff. Whereas, Capt Muhammad Ijaz Haroon, MD, PIA, Mr Yaqoob Tabani c/o Dr Asim Hussain and Mr Iqbal (Guard of Malik Sb) has been included in the entourage under the heading of business community.
Under the heading of ‘Others’, 81 people have been picked up from all over the country. Whereas, 32 media persons were also part of the group, who represented all major media houses of the country.