'PM House expenses curtailed to few millions from one billion'

LAHORE: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday that under the Premier Imran Khan’s austerity drive, the expenditure of Prime Minister House has been reduced to only few million from one billion rupees previously.

Addressing an event in Lahore, Chaudhry stated that public did not have the money to purchase medicines then how could the PM House run in a royal fashion. He further said that the auction of buffaloes of PM House was not aimed at garnering any financial benefit, but it was being done in a symbolic manner to convey the message of simplicity to the masses.

The Minister lamented that the austerity drive of PM had already come under fire, however, “all our struggles are meant for the poor faction of the society.”

The government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has considerably brought down the expenditure of PM House, he said while adding that his government was putting most of its focus on sectors of education, health and cleanliness.

Soon after coming into the power, Prime Minister Imran Khan while kicking off the austerity drive from his own, announced to reside at the three-bed residence of the Military Secretary instead of the lavish PM House.

Giving a road-map of his priorities and policies in his televised address to the nation, he had said there were 524 employees deployed at the PM House, but he would use only two for domestic service.

PM Khan has fulfilled his words so far that he pledged under his austerity drive.

On the Prime Minister’s order, none of the governors were residing in the governor houses either and ensuring maximum austerity in the chief minister houses of the PTI-led provinces.