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 MPs as well as their family members are also annually provided. It said that there has been persistent demand by the MPs to extend the utility of 25 air tickets to their family members as well. National Assembly Standing on Rules of Procedure has recommended accordingly. Therefore, vouchers of equal value in lieu of admissible 25 business class open return air tickets are proposed to be issued to the MPs, which may be utilized by their family members as well. Section 10 says every MP member will be provided during a year such vouchers of the value of Rs300000 as would enable him to travel within Pakistan at any time without payment of any fair by air or by rail. However, where a person becomes a member during the course of a year, the value of the vouchers with which he is provided during that year will not exceed the value which bears the same proportion to Rs300000, as the unexpired portion of the year bears to a year. An MP who does not wish to be provided with such vouchers will be paid an allowance which bears the same proportion to the value of the vouchers he would have been entitled to as the sum of Rs90000 bears to the sum of Rs300000. An MP in addition to these vouchers will be entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets from the airport nearest to his constituency to Islamabad. Any voucher may be utilised by the family of the MP concerned. The family means the spouse and children of a member and one other person.