Arch-rivals PDM, PTI cabinets ‘ruthlessly’ spend Rs69.97m on foreign trips in 2022

Arch-rival Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) cabinets ‘ruthlessly’ spent Rs69.97 million on foreign trips in 2022.

In 2022, federal ministers, ministers of state, advisors, and special assistants to foreign countries of Imran Khan and Shehbaz Sharif spent Rs699,707,72 on these visits, SAMAA TV Investigation Unity unearthed the shocking details of expenditures.

Rs652,115,04 were spent on 25 foreign visits by the federal ministers of the previous and current government.

Imran Khan’s cabinet

Imran Khan’s advisers including—adviser to the prime minister on national security division and strategic policy planning, Dr Moeed Yousaf, and adviser on trade and investment, Abdul Razzaq Dawood—spent Rs1,007,285 from national exchequer on foreign tours.

Former special assistants to prime minister including Shazia Nishtar, Malik Amin Aslam, and Azam Jamali spent Rs3,752,183 on these foreign trips. A total of Rs4759468 was spent on the visits of former and current advisers and assistants to prime minister.

PDM Cabinet

Among the federal ministers, Federal Minister for National Health Services Kadir Patel spent Rs10,420,163 on foreign visits while Federal Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar spent Rs589,381,2 on foreign trips.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman spent Rs491,745,4 on foreign country visits, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail spent Rs4569160 on foreign country visits, Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Minister of State for Finance, spent Rs4096290, and Minister of State for Energy (Petroleum Division), Dr Musadik Masood Malik spent Rs3,500,222 on trips to foreign countries.