The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government splurged over Rs60 million in connection with an official delegation's tour of Dubai.
The delegation, comprising bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and artistes, had toured Dubai at the start of the year. The aforementioned sum was spent paying towards their passage, lodging, recreation and attendance at the Dubai Expo in the Persian Gulf emirate, according to documents seen by Naya Daur -- The Friday Times.
Of the sum, Rs2.6 million was just spent on cultural activities. A total sum of Rs66,542,439 was spent on the 106-member delegation's Dubai visit ostensibly undertaken to promote investment in the province.
KP Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra, Tourism Minister Shaukat Yousufzai, Science and Technology Minister Khan Muhammad Atif, Agriculture Minister Muhibullah Khan were part of the delegation. Special assistants to the KP CM Arif Ahmadzai and Abdul Karim also toured Dubai as part of the delegation.
Another 13 KP Tourism officials and 45 artistes also joined the delegation, according to the documents.
The Balochistan government had received flak earlier in September, separately, over a government helicopter filmed dumping ration near Quetta.
Balochistan Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili said the helicopter was deployed to distribute ration in the outskirts of Quetta. “We do not deny that a few bags dropped from the helicopter were wasted during one of the sorties in the area as it was a difficult mountainous area and there was no place to land,” he said.
Uqaili said the government summoned the pilot flying the aircraft after the video went viral. Upon inquiry, the pilot admitted that a few ration bags were dumped from a great height while conducting the sortie
The pilot said it was not possible for the aircraft to land or to hover low in that area due to mountainous terrain. The secretary said the pilot had eventually returned to the area, hovered low and delivered ration.
The delegation, comprising bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and artistes, had toured Dubai at the start of the year. The aforementioned sum was spent paying towards their passage, lodging, recreation and attendance at the Dubai Expo in the Persian Gulf emirate, according to documents seen by Naya Daur -- The Friday Times.
Of the sum, Rs2.6 million was just spent on cultural activities. A total sum of Rs66,542,439 was spent on the 106-member delegation's Dubai visit ostensibly undertaken to promote investment in the province.
KP Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra, Tourism Minister Shaukat Yousufzai, Science and Technology Minister Khan Muhammad Atif, Agriculture Minister Muhibullah Khan were part of the delegation. Special assistants to the KP CM Arif Ahmadzai and Abdul Karim also toured Dubai as part of the delegation.
Another 13 KP Tourism officials and 45 artistes also joined the delegation, according to the documents.
The Balochistan government had received flak earlier in September, separately, over a government helicopter filmed dumping ration near Quetta.
Balochistan Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili said the helicopter was deployed to distribute ration in the outskirts of Quetta. “We do not deny that a few bags dropped from the helicopter were wasted during one of the sorties in the area as it was a difficult mountainous area and there was no place to land,” he said.
Uqaili said the government summoned the pilot flying the aircraft after the video went viral. Upon inquiry, the pilot admitted that a few ration bags were dumped from a great height while conducting the sortie
The pilot said it was not possible for the aircraft to land or to hover low in that area due to mountainous terrain. The secretary said the pilot had eventually returned to the area, hovered low and delivered ration.