No first-class air travel luxury for PM, President in Naya Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The newly-elected government has banned the discretionary use of state funds and first-class air travel by officials and leaders, including the president and the prime minister.

The decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“It has been decided that all the top government officials, including the president, prime minister, chief justice, senate chairman, speaker national assembly and the chief ministers will travel in club/business,” Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary told media.

He said that the discretionary allocation of funds by the prime minister and the president and other officials was also stopped by the Cabinet.

The prime minister also decided to stop using special plane for foreign visits or domestic travelling and use business class.

The minister said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif used Rs 21 billion discretionary funds during one year and also allocated Rs 30 billion to parliamentarians for development schemes at his own will. “Since the national kitty is not a personal property of any individual, therefore, the cabinet has decided that all future projects will route through the parliament to ensure that tax payers’ money were spent judiciously.”

He said the prime minister would not use his personal aircraft for travelling rather he and his cabinet members would avail Club Class instead of First Class. “The government will request other important personalities to also use the Club Class no matter even if they are entitled to the First Class.”