PTI govt's austerity drive saves 49% expenditure of PM House: official document

• The PTI-led regime has saved 49% expenditure of the Prime Minister's House and 29% expenditure on the PM’s Office
  
• Documents reveal the expenditure of PM House was Rs590 million in 2018 which was reduced to Rs280 million in 2020
  
• PM Imran Khan conducted 26 official visits, which cost Rs176 million to the national kitty
  

KARACHI: The PTI-led regime has saved 49% expenditure of the Prime Minister's House and 29% expenditure of the PM’s Office (PMO) through austerity measures during its two-and-a-half-year rule, The News reported quoting official documents on Wednesday.

Drawing the comparison of expenses with previous governments, the document highlighted that the PPP government, former president Asif Ali Zardari had two camp offices which cost the state kitty approximately Rs3.6 billion. 

On the other hand, during the PML-N’s government, the Raiwind camp office for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif cost the government Rs4.3 billion, while former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif used Rs572 million for his two camps offices.

Former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani spent Rs570 million on his five camp offices, while the incumbent Prime Minister Imran Khan does not have any camp office. 

Read more: Populism aside, can the PM house really be converted into an educational institute?

Official documents unveiled that Asif Ali Zardari spent Rs3.6 billion on his two camp offices, while 245 government vehicles and 656 security officials were also stationed with him.

Nawaz Sharif made Raiwind his camp office and deployed 2,717 police officials for security, costing the national kitty a whopping Rs4.3 billion, according to the documents. 

'From Rs590 million in 2018 to Rs280 million in 2020'

Documents revealed the expenditure of the Prime Minister’s House was Rs590 million in 2018 that was reduced to Rs339 million in 2019 and to Rs280 million in 2020.

The PMO expenses which were Rs514 million in 2018, were reduced to Rs305 million in 2019, and Rs334 million in 2020. 

According to the documents, the yearly expenditure of the Prime Minister’s House is as low as Rs180 million. Interestingly, the prime minister did not give any discretionary grant, gift and cash award from the PM’s House.

Official visits and austerity

During the PPP's tenure, former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani conducted 48 official visits which cost the state kitty as much as Rs572 million, while his successor Raja Pervaiz Ashraf conducted nine official visits costing Rs107 million to the national exchequer.

Read more: PM Imran’s Davos visit to cost less than Nawaz, Gilani's

Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif made 92 official visits costing the national exchequer Rs1.8 billion while his successor Shahid Khaqan Abbasi made 19 official visits, incurring an expenditure of Rs260 million. 

On the other hand, PM Imran Khan conducted 26 official visits, which cost Rs176 million to the national kitty.