Imran Khan’s lavish chopper rides cost struggling Pakistan Rs 1 billion, report finds

As Pakistan plunges deeper under the weight of hefty debts, erstwhile prime minister Imran Khan’s helicopter expeditions cost the nation around Rs 1 billion, a bombshell report has found. According to local news outlet The Nation, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief took VVIP chopper rides by 6 Aviation Squadron between 2019 and 2021 that cost the treasury an amount of Rs 946.3 million, the federal government told the Senate in a written response, citing the Cabinet Division. 

Between 2019 and March 2022, the former PM commuted via the chopper from his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad to the PM House for a total of 1,579.8 hours, the Pak government told the upper house. As per the outlet, Rs 434.43 million was extracted from the national exchequer for the luxurious aerial trips.

The report also detailed the money spent on camp offices. A total expenditure of Rs 26 million was spent from funds on camp offices by ex-PMs since 2008. In the case of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, three camp offices in total, two in Lahore and one in Multan, belonged to him between March 2008 to June 2012 which cost a sum of Rs 10.8 million. 

On the other hand, Ex-PM Nawaz Sharif had a camp office at his Jati Umra residence in Lahore between June 2013 and July 2017, which cost Rs 4.5 million. Meanwhile, as Pakistan’s political elite continue their expensive activities with exchequer money, the nation faces a crisis at every front.  

Economic collapse on horizon as Pak leaders remain unrealistically hopeful

Amidst this, incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif showed wishful thinking in striking an early agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to access foreign loans. "I fully expect that an agreement with the IMF will be signed this month and we will get out of these difficulties. And multilateral institutions will also support us," Sharif said as Pakistan’s foreign reserves free-falled to USD 3.7 billion.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also remained hopeful, but soon shifted the blame for the nation’s economic collapse to the former Imran Khan government. "This quagmire is not the result of this government’s eight months but the five years of the previous government," Dar told journalists.