PM Imran Khan sets example of austerity during his US visit

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has set an example of austerity and simplicity during his recent to the United States (US) which visibly costs lesser as a visit of a head of the state over expenditures of national exchequer, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

ARY News obtained details of expenditures made during the visit of PM Khan to the US, which was compared with the visits of previous rulers including former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

The details become an eye-opener for all as the previous visits by the then heads of the state had put a heavy financial burden on the national exchequer.

According to the details, the former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, had paid a six-day official visit to the US in 2009. Approximately $752,688 spent on his visit to the US as per the details obtained by ARY News.

When it comes to the visit of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the premier’s six-day stay in US costs $549,853 to the national exchequer.

Whereas, the revelations surprised the austerity move adopted by the present government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as PM Imran Khan’s visit to US was concluded with the expenditure of only $67,180 which saved millions of rupees’ spending from the public funds.

Pm Imran Khan had neither travelled through a chartered aircraft from the state-owned airline not he had stayed at any 7-star hotel and did not bring any of his relatives during the US visit.