Documents reveal: KP spent millions on Imran’s use of govt helicopters

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has spent millions of rupees on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's use of the provincial government's helicopters, official documents revealed on Monday.

The documents obtained by Geo News from the KP administration department show that the PTI chief used the KP government's helicopters free of charge for a total of 74 hours to travel approximately 18,000 kilometres. The provincial government recorded in its books a total expense of Rs2.1 million at approximately Rs28,865 per hour for Imran Khan's 40 trips on the two helicopters -- an Mi-171 and an Ecureuil.

Similar trips using a private helicopter would have cost the PTI chief tens of millions of rupees, according to estimates. Imran used the Mi-171 for 21 hours 50 minutes on 12 trips amounting to a recorded expense of Rs1,270,307. Similarly, he used the Ecureuil helicopter 28 times for a total of 52 hours and 5 minutes, amounting to a recorded expense of Rs836,875.

Combined, Imran used both helicopters for a total of 73 hours and 55 minutes, resulting in an expense of Rs2,107,181 recorded by the provincial government. The PTI chief, whose party governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, used the helicopters to fly to and from Banigala, Islamabad, Mardan, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Nathiagali, Kohat, Battagram and Chakdara, among other places.

Speaking to Geo News, Muhammad Amin, KP chief minister's principal adviser on aviation, said he is unsure if Imran travelled on the helicopter alone. The PTI chief must have accompanied the chief minister on these trips, he said. He added the provincial government's administration department handled matters regarding use of the helicopters.

However, when asked, Amin estimated that the use of the helicopters costs between Rs150,000 and Rs200,000 per hour -- far greater than the Rs28,865 average hourly rate at which expenses were recorded in the provincial administration's books. Going by Amin's estimates, 74 hours of using the helicopters would cost at least Rs11 million.

It is unclear in what capacity did Imran use the provincial government's helicopters, as the party chief neither holds any position in the KP administration nor he is a member of the provincial assembly. However, a senior KP government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak is the chief executive of the province and holds the discretion of allowing any individual to use the provincial government's helicopters.

In its documents, the administration department mentioned the purpose of the flights as "official use and urgent nature of work". KP Minister for Information Shah Farman said Imran never travelled in government helicopters alone. "Imran used the helicopter in the interest of the people and at the request of the provincial government, along with the chief minister and other ministers," Shah Farman said in a statement, labeling the report as "propaganda."