ISLAMABAD - National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Friday ordered an inquiry against the alleged use of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopters by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on low rates for private purpose.

The NAB chief directed the KP NAB Director-General to also launch the inquiry against KP Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak for allowing the use of two helicopters, MI-17 and Ecureuil, reportedly for 74 hours on cheaper price by misusing the authority.

The anti-graft body chief sought a report from the NAB DG in this regard, said a statement issued here.

According to reports, the PTI chief had used MI 17 helicopter for 22 hours and Ecureuil helicopter for 52 hours. The expenditures of 74 hours of the flying were shown at Rs28,000 per-hour while the total cost of flying hours was Rs21,07,181 (Rs 2.1072 million). The PTI chairman, if chartered an MI-17 helicopter from a private firm, the rate could have been from Rs1.0 million to Rs1.2 million per hour. Whereas, expenditures of chartering an Ecurreuil helicopter from a private firm could have been from 500,000 to 600,000 per hour.

The NAB further said: “Principal Adviser to KP Chief Minister on technical training and aviation, the per hour expenditures of an official helicopter were from Rs150,000 to Rs 200,000. And the PTI chief should have paid Rs150,000 per hour for using the official helicopter and the total payable should have been 111,100,000 but the amount mentioned in the official documents was only Rs 2.1072 million.

The NAB also said that the PTI chairman used MI-17 for his private visits to Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Battagram, Dir and Kamra from Bani Gala (Islamabad). Likewise, Khan used Ecureuil helicopter for his private visits to Peshawar, Kohat, Abbottabad, Haripur, Chitral, Swat and Nowshera from Bani Gala (Islamabad).

The NAB chairman has directed NAB DG to inquire whether the chief minister has powers to give sensitive assets like helicopters for private use and also inquire on what pretext, Khan had been allowed to use the official helicopters. He said that it should also be inquired whether the helicopters were given to other persons for private use as well. “The basic aim of the NAB inquiry is to ban the misuse of official helicopters,” it said.

The PTI chief is also facing criticism on the social media for using the official helicopters for his private visits to different cities.

 

 

NAB chief orders inquiry against Imran, Khattak

 

NOKHAIZ SAHI

ISLAMABAD

National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Friday ordered an inquiry against the alleged use of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopters by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on low rates for private purpose.

The NAB chief directed the KP NAB Director-General to also launch the inquiry against KP Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak for allowing the use of two helicopters, MI-17 and Ecureuil, reportedly for 74 hours on cheaper price by misusing the authority.

The anti-graft body chief sought a report from the NAB DG in this regard, said a statement issued here.

According to reports, the PTI chief had used MI 17 helicopter for 22 hours and Ecureuil helicopter for 52 hours. The expenditures of 74 hours of the flying were shown at Rs28,000 per-hour while the total cost of flying hours was Rs21,07,181 (Rs 2.1072 million). The PTI chairman, if chartered an MI-17 helicopter from a private firm, the rate could have been from Rs1.0 million to Rs1.2 million per hour. Whereas, expenditures of chartering an Ecurreuil helicopter from a private firm could have been from 500,000 to 600,000 per hour.

The NAB further said: “Principal Adviser to KP Chief Minister on technical training and aviation, the per hour expenditures of an official helicopter were from Rs150,000 to Rs 200,000. And the PTI chief should have paid Rs150,000 per hour for using the official helicopter and the total payable should have been 111,100,000 but the amount mentioned in the official documents was only Rs 2.1072 million.

The NAB also said that the PTI chairman used MI-17 for his private visits to Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Battagram, Dir and Kamra from Bani Gala (Islamabad). Likewise, Khan used Ecureuil helicopter for his private visits to Peshawar, Kohat, Abbottabad, Haripur, Chitral, Swat and Nowshera from Bani Gala (Islamabad).

The NAB chairman has directed NAB DG to inquire whether the chief minister has powers to give sensitive assets like helicopters for private use and also inquire on what pretext, Khan had been allowed to use the official helicopters. He said that it should also be inquired whether the helicopters were given to other persons for private use as well. “The basic aim of the NAB inquiry is to ban the misuse of official helicopters,” it said.

The PTI chief is also facing criticism on the social media for using the official helicopters for his private visits to different cities.

 

 

NAB chief orders inquiry against Imran, Khattak