Govt releases expenditure details of PM Imran, Zardari, Nawaz on foreign visits

By
Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf led government has released the details regarding the amount of money spent by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Imran Khan on a foreign visit.

According to details, Zardari during his 2009 visit to the United States from May 4 to 8 spent $752,688 Nawaz spent $549,853.82 while PM Imran spent only $67,180.73 on his three-day day official visit to the country.

Zardari’s four days official visit to the US also included two days of transit to London was most expensive in financial terms costing the national exchequer $12,039,063, making the total expenditure for the six days to $60,516,119.

He also spent $273,780 on gifts in London and gave tips amounting to $252,460.

Zaradri has an expenditure of $20,872,203 on hotel accommodation that includes $14,757,545 on hotel accommodation in Washington and $6,114,658 on hotel accommodation in London on transit, an expenditure of $11,364,521 on transportation that includes $10,772,225 on transport in Washington and $592,296 on transport during transit in London, $1,127,220 on gifts that includes $853,440 on gifts in Washington and $273,780 for gifts during transit in London.

$15,891,644 was spent on airfare that includes $11,952,484 on airfare for Washington and $3,939,160 for airfare in transit in London, $7,403,920 on miscellaneous items that include $7,005,058 on miscellaneous expenditure in Washington and $398,862 on miscellaneous expenditure in London during transit. $252,460 on tips during a transit stay in London with $1,482,002 on meals that include $1,161,378 in Washington and $320,624 in London.

Three-time former prime minister Nawaz during his visit to the United States in 2013 from October 20 to 23, cost the national exchequer $549,853.82.

Nawaz’s three day visit to the US including $13,670,180 on hotel accommodation in Washington and $6,555,390 in London on transit, $Rs12,262,738 on transportation that includes $8,585,680 spent on transport in Washington and $3,677,058 on transport during transit in London.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo also spent $997,499 on gifts including $978,680 on gifts in Washington and $18,819 for gifts during transit in London, $2,792,210 on airfare for Washington while no amount was spent for airfare in transit in London. $1,913,728 was spent on miscellaneous items including $705,864 in Washington and $1,207,864 in London during transit.

Moreover, $5,957,115 was spent in London transit, $534,500 on tips in Washington including $5,294,492 on meals in Washington and $1,623,801 on meals in London.

On the other hand, PM Imran’s visit to the US cost the country $67,180.73 with $1,358,770 spent of the delegation's accommodation, $92,120 spent on transport, $1 42,000 on gifts, $6,075,800 on airfare, $1,287,460 on miscellaneous expenditures, $706,001 on tips and $1,389,077 on meals.