'Over Rs30 million spent on PM’s recent trip to New York'
The deputy attorney general told the court that Parliament had approved a fund for the premier's foreign tours.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of LHC, during a previous hearing, had warned the government of the imposition of a fine if details of the visit’s expenses were not submitted in court.
The judge observed that the court would see whether it has the jurisdiction to question the funds approved by Parliament.
Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree had filed a petition, challenging the foreign tours of the prime minister along with his family and help.
The petitioner alleged that the premier travelled along with his family on a special plane, stayed at expensive hotels, made business deals for personal developments and shifted public money abroad. He also requested the court to put the prime minister's and his family members’ names on the Exit Control List (ECL).
Barrister Jafree also requested that a mental examination of the prime minister be carried out as “he conveyed a bad image of the country by serving people local food items in foreign countries”.
The hearing was adjourned for a week as the petitioner’s counsel failed to appear before court on Thursday.
COMMENTS (29)
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Still living in the mental shack aren’t you? Ever heard of FBR ? India is an innovator in this type of nuclear tech. But how would you know ? Your local uncle AQK , who has since been discredited and who is writing his own moronic stories in ‘ the news’ ,was the one who copied verbatim the designs from abroad and your foreign Uncle with “a mining accident a day” should know wherefrom you got your nuclear tech. Today the world is worried about proliferation from Pak and not from India. The same Canada is lining upto supply the yellow metal to India in competition with Australia and others while the international comity of nations treat you like the ebola patient . Wanna try again ?
@Humza: Oh yeah! you are 100% correct. Just ignore the crying Pakistanis. They have a habit of crying. 30m Rs. is nothing. NS would spent such amount on his one night dinner only.
Actually we have not elected Nawaz Sharif as PM only but his entire family or frankly speaking his entire Khandaan including maids, butlers, gardeners etc as the premiers of the State.
That's the PM's job. And that's how much it costs. Grow up Pakistanis!
Wow Five Star Hotels, Taking Maids and Cooks with you Reserving the planes of our bankrupted airlines and to do what, be snubbed by America and India PM of poor countries should live according to the budget of the poor country. Why mention Imran here he is not using Tax payer money Noon League wants Imran to not make a noise about Election Fraud and also do all their work
why take NS family along? and maids and cooks? This amount must be refunded to Govt. In India too - ex-President Pratibha Patil was also one such crook. She used to take her children, their spouses and grandchildren and other brood!!! Thank God! she is gone.!!! Even after retirement she tried to keep all the gifts given to her as President. Wonder what happened to her attempts to corner more land than she was entitled to in Pune? She was Sonia's cook. Now that we have a BJP Govt, Pratibha Patil must be investigated in full.
@sterry: Still living in the mental shack aren't you? Ever heard of FBR ? India is an innovator in this type of nuclear tech. But how would you know ? Your local uncle AQK , who has since been discredited and who is writing his own moronic stories in ' the news' ,was the one who copied verbatim the designs from abroad and your foreign Uncle with "a mining accident a day" should know wherefrom you got your nuclear tech. Today the world is worried about proliferation from Pak and not from India. The same Canada is lining upto supply the yellow metal to India in competition with Australia and others while the international comity of nations treat you like the ebola patient . Wanna try again ?
"Barrister Jafree also requested that a mental examination of the prime minister be carried out " +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A secret that Pakistan might have to keep harder than nuclear ones: the PM's IQ.
" The deputy attorney general told the court that Parliament had approved a fund for the premier’s foreign tours." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Request to ET: Pls publish details of this claim.Parliamentary proceedings are public.
" The petitioner alleged that the premier traveled along with his family on a special plane, " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Did the Parliament also permit the PM taking the family along? Under what provision did the family travel? IK: Pls at least get that stopped for future.
'Over Rs30 million spent on PM’s recent trip to New York' +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Do IDPs get to read the ET in their camps? A revolution might take place if they learn of this.
Can they also report the cost of chief of army staff's trip to the U.S. I would like to compare.
@Blithe: " These are standard diplomatic expenses." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I can see what damage does British PM does when he travels commercial airlines. No wonder that Britain is no more a global power like Pakistan.
@sterry
Imran Khan's dharnas are not funded by taxpayers money.
When Nawaz Sharif uses taxpayers money to take his family and domestic help on official visits, the public has a right to question how their money is spent.
@Future Lawyer: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is not Pakistan's head of state. President Mamnoon Hussain is our head of state. Hope your understanding of the law is better than your understanding of Pakistan's government structure.
@sterry: With all due respect, you made me laugh. I am not talking about IK, if IK is doing something non-productive then NS will also do this! wow what a logic.
And btw, what are the achievements of his all foreign trips?
The is no real reason for Nawaz Sharaif to take these trips one rarely see's European leaders or other take such trip , just by looking at the Agenda of these trip one can tell mostly it is personal business being conducted or just a plain high ranking holiday junket at the cost of Pakistani people
@Parvez: But India begs more and they spend even more on government trips. Even the Indian nuclear program is based on Canadian aid that was given to India for peaceful nuclear energy purposes and the Indians subverted it to make weapons and nuclearize South Asia.
From a cost to benefit point of view.........its expenditure not justifiable for a country that begs.
@Humza: I do not understand your point of view. Two wrong things can't make one right - this is not mathematics. I understand he is PM of Pakistan but can Pakistan afford such expensive trips? I am not saying that he shouldn't go to any country but atleast he can reduce the expenses.
This is our dilemma, every politician/leader does the same, they loot our treasury and now Pakistan is standing no where.
Govt. has no money to spend on health and education but they have money to go on lavish foreign trips with family. I also heard that he went for Umrah (or may be Hajj) with a 30-men squad. Can you justify this? Head of the state can do this?
Before anything else we must realise that it is their obligation to serve Pakistan because they are our servants, we pay taxes for their salaries and benefits and they just can not splurge that money.
Please please please for Pakistan sake, do not try to protect these criminals.
The Heads of States do go abroad and lobby for their countries and expenses do occur but the real question should be asked how many members of his family and hangers on went on this junket, most of the time spouse go along but taking the whole family and their servants are serious matter to be considered. NS has been in habit of conducting family business when ever he goes abroad on tax payers back, one prime example is when he visited Saudi Arabia and he stayed there for 10 days, that will be considered unethical and borders on criminality. In civilized countries the Heads of States put their businesses in Blind Trust which they have no control over it as long as they are heads of States but in Pakistan it is a ticket to fleece the country because they may not get another chance. Nawaz Sharif and his family were never up standing businessmen, they amassed wealth during that despicable dictator Zia and we all know how they did it. Any one remembers?
To all N league supporters, please do enlighten us about the achievements of this trip. Staying at Waldorf Astoria and taking along your family and maids? Nawaz was treated like a low ranking official by the Americans, as always, because he lacks charisma and oratory skills and is perceived as not so bright. Compare him to the treatment provided to Modi. This government is a beggar government and is treated as such by all the foreigners. Compared to him Gen Raheel Sharif was treated with a much higher degree of protocol because its known all over the world that he is the true ruler of Pakistan.
a rich PM of a poor country uses the resources of poor nation! Allah is the best judge! 30 november,we await.
The thing is not that he is the head of state, the government of Pakistan should consider the fact that I am doing a law degree in UK and it is costing me £ 13500, which is a lot. Give me some of that money, so I can actually do something constructive for this country, rather than this ignorant man making a fool out of you people. Wake up man!!! the world is moving forward,
It nauseating to see how certain people will defend nawaz and his n-league no matter how immoral and corrupt their practices. It's one thing to go on state trips but it's another to stay in lavish Manhattan hotels that cost $8000.00 per night, have your bullet proof Mercedes transported with you to foreign trips, and have Boeing 777 commercial planes reserved for yourself and staff like nawaz has done and the list goes on and on (Do a simple good search and you will get all the proofs you need). All from taxpayers money. Even the US govt officials don't have expenditures like his highness nawaz sharif. Its truly shameful to see the pm behave this way and its even more shameful to defend his pratices.
Imran Khan's Dharnas cost more money on a daily business and he does nothing. At least NS is getting investment for Pakistan to improve the economy and infrastructure.
Another 30 million of tax payers money goes down the drain. No wonder we are always begging around the world when the rulers spend like a king. And hats off to the parliament for approving this expense after all they have their own trips lined up in future.
I don't understand why this petition was entertained by high court at first place,looking at the pathetic level of allegations submitted against prime minister visit abroad. Are our higher courts still not so independent to absorb political pressures.
These are standard diplomatic expenses. And these have paid off with the reprochmant we are seeing with Afghanistan and the US.
Sad to see that some people can't understand that heads of state all over the world need to conduct state business in order to promote the state interests. As executive members of an elected government, they have earned that right. Of course they have to be held to account for their expenses but the sensationalist reporting of 30 million rupees on this trip would be better if it were put in perspective. The amount spent is hardly more than spent by any other mission. By all means keep an eye on everyone's expenses but try to understand that everything should be viewed impartially.There is no proof that our elected executive engaged in personal business deals or hid cash abroad as alleged so the real vindictive nature of the law suit has been revealed.