‘Nawaz Sharif’s foreign trips cost exchequer over Rs1 bn’

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ’s foreign trips between 2013 and 2017 cost the national exchequer Rs 1.013 billion, the National Assembly was informed.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif shared the details of Mr. Sharif’s foreign trips on request of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the Parliament.

In a written report presented to the Lower House, the foreign minister stated that Sharif’s 64 international tours during his third term as the head of the government cost Rs 1 billion to the exchequer.

Sharif, whose five-year tenure was cut short due to his disqualification by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in April last year, went on 10 foreign trips in 2013, 11 in 2014, 23 in 2015, nine in 2016 and just as many in 2017.

According to Asif’s report, Saudi Arabia was Sharif’s most frequently visited country: the former premier visited the kingdom seven times in total.

Sharif’s visit count for neighbouring China — with whom Pakistan government has collaborated on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — stands at four.

Meanwhile, Sharif also toured the United States a total of six times, although four of those visits were his participation in the United Nations General Assembly.