CM Office accused of withholding travel expense details

LAHORE:

The Punjab Chief Minister's Office has allegedly failed to provide information regarding CM Maryam Nawaz's aircraft and travel-related expenditures despite requests under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act.

According to sources, lawyer Abdullah Malik had submitted a written request on September 1, 2025 seeking details about the chief minister's aircraft, foreign visits, fuel expenses of official vehicles and other travel-related costs.

The applicant alleged that the requested information was not provided by the CM's Office, prompting the Punjab Information Commission to register a complaint on November 18 over the non-provision of records.

The commission directed the office on February 3 to provide the requested information and appear on February 16.

On the date, a section officer reportedly requested additional time to furnish the details. The commission fixed another hearing, but the information was again not provided and a two-week extension was sought, which was granted.

According to the applicant, the CM's Office has continued seeking repeated adjournments for the last six months without supplying the requested information.

The matter has also drawn comparisons with a similar request made during the tenure of former chief minister Usman Buzdar. At that time, opposition parties had accused the then CM of concealing information.