Austerity measures: PM restricts cabinet members to three foreign trips a year

Ministers, advisers will only be able to use PIA for international travelling

ISLAMABAD: In pursuance of his government’s policy of adopting austerity measures, Prime Minister Imran Khan has put a restriction of three foreign trips per year to all members of the federal cabinet san foreign and trade ministers.

Federal ministers, ministers of state, advisers and special assistants to the premier are restricted to use the national flag carrier, PIA for their foreign visits, sources told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

The cabinet members will also not be allowed to take their personal staff along in the tours. However, they will be able to use services of the staff stationed at all international missions of Pakistan.



According to the highly-placed sources, the decisions would be imposed with immediate effect.

After coming into power, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had announced to adopt a more austere attitude towards public funds and announced auctioning luxury cars including bulletproof vehicles parked at the PM House, as well as, eight buffaloes kept at the premises.

PM Khan, however, has quashed his government’s own austerity claims by travelling in special aircraft on multiple occasions. It was decided that the premier will not use special planes for foreign tours.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had announced that the prime minister would surrender his entitlement to first-class travel tickets for international tours.