LAHORE     -    In a move apparently made follow­ing criticism in the media, the Pun­jab government has backed out of its commitment regarding the upgrada­tion of a helipad at the Model Town residence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore. 

As per details, the provincial fi­nance department had earlier sanc­tioned an amount of Rs 87.344 mil­lion for the upgradation of a helipad for the prime minister’s helicopter to make its flight operation easier during the nighttime. 

The said amount was sanctioned after a formal request from the prime minister’s secretariat which was received in the chief minister’s office. A sub-committee of the Pun­jab caretaker cabinet had also rec­ommended the release of the re­quired funds for the purpose. 

In this connection, the provincial home department had written a let­ter to secretary finance department on 28thMarch 2023 to place funds amounting to Rs 83.344 million into the Assan Assignment Account of the deputy commissioner Lahore for upgradation of helipad for prime minister at Model Town. The deputy commissioner was supposed to exe­cute the upgradation of the helipad in collaboration with the civil avia­tion authority. 

But the Home department with­drew this letter after three days on March 31, 2023, without giving any reason. It has been learnt that the federal government will now bear the expenses if it is decided to up­grade the helipad any time in future