MPs’ family members being allowed free air travel facility

ISLAMABAD: The family members of the MPs are being allowed air travel on the state money allocated to their heads, the federal legislators.

The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act is being amended to achieve this objective. A bill to the effect has been moved in the National Assembly. It says that the expression in the existing legislation, the MPs being entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets, be substituted with being entitled to receive travel vouchers of equal amount of 25 business class open return air tickets of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

These vouchers will be in addition to the already available vouchers of Rs300000 which are being utilized for traveling by air or train by the MPs as well as their family members during a year.

The bill says the unutilized air tickets and vouchers for financial year 2019-20 will remain acceptable till their utilization up to June 30, 2020. The statement of object and reasons of the bill says Section 10 of the existing act regulates free travel privilege of the MPs, who are entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets from airport nearest to their constituencies to Islamabad, per annum. In addition, vouchers of Rs300000 to be utilized for traveling by air or train by