KP spent millions on Imran's use of govt helicopters, documents reveal

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

Documents obtained by Geo News from the KP administration department show that the PTI chairperson 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 Rs 2.1 million at approximately Rs28,865 per hour for 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 chairperson tens of millions of rupees, according to estimates.

Khan 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, Khan 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 province, used the helicopters to fly to and from Bani Gala, Islamabad, Mardan, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat and Nathiagali, Kohat, Batagram, and Chakdara, among other places.

Speaking to Geo News, Mohammad Amin, the KP chief minister's principal adviser on aviation, said he was unsure if Imran travelled on the helicopter alone. 

The PTI chairperson must have accompanied the chief minister on these trips, he said.

He added that the provincial government's administration department handled matters regarding use of the helicopters.

However, when asked, Amin estimated that 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 administrations books.

Going by Amin's estimates, 74 hours of using the helicopters would cost at least Rs11 million.

It was unclear in what capacity Khan used the provincial government's helicopters, as the party chairperson neither holds any position in the KP administration nor is he a member of the provincial assembly.

However, a senior KP government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 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".

'Imran never travelled in govt helicopters alone'

KP Minister for Information Shah Farman said that Khan never travelled in government helicopters alone.

"Imran used the helicopter in the interest of the people and on request of the provincial government, along with the chief minister and other ministers," Farman said in a statement, labelling the report as "propaganda."