ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan spent over Rs40million on his foreign visits since August this year, National Assembly was told on Monday.
Answering a question of MNA Rana Sanaullah, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his written reply said that a sum of Rs40381067 was spent on Imran Khan's six foreign visits since August 18, 2018.
The first visit to Saudi Arabia from 18 September to 19 September cost national exchequer Rs3099362 while Rs433215 were spent on visit to Dubai during same dates.
It said that a total of Rs870132 were spent during prime minister's visit to Saudi Arabia on October 22. The November 1-5 trip to China was of worth Rs24444799 while UAE visit on November 18 cost 3,990,492. A sum of Rs7543067 was spent on the trip to Malaysia. It is not clear whether the cost includes airfare and expense of other officials or not.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had been very vocal against the lavish foreign tours of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif announced that he would not make any foreign tour for three months unless some very pressing matter.
According to data submitted in the National Assembly Secretariat in 2016, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had spent Rs63.8 crore on his 65 foreign trips during July 2013 to February 11, 2016.
Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Qureshi told the National Assembly on Monday the Afghan government was not providing information about the number of Pakistani nationals imprisoned in Afghanistan despite Pakistan's repeated requests,
He said terrorism-related charges have been pressed in most cases against Pakistani individuals.
The Afghan government neither shares information about the number of Pakistani prisoners in Afghanistan and nature of their charges nor allows regular consular access to our embassy and the consulates in Afghanistan, Qureshi said in his written reply.
He said the matter has been repeatedly raised at the highest level with the Afghan government. The information about Pakistani prisoners is gathered through Pakistan embassy and consulates in Afghanistan and sources including ICRC and released prisoners. Pakistan embassy in Kabul arranged repatriation of 17 Pakistani prisoners released from Afghan jails during February 20 to August 30, 2018.
He said on Pakistan's consistent demand for consular access to Pakistani detainees in Pul-e-Charkhi Jail in Kabul and Baghram Detention Centre, the Afghan government arranged a tour for Pak embassy officials to Baghram Detention Centre earlier this year.
The embassy officials met around 200 inmates in batches of 25-30, reported to be Pakistani nationals. No individual interactions were allowed to ascertain the charges and the terms of sentences handed down to them, he added.
Qureshi said the government is also working on an MoU for transfer of offenders. After completing our internal processes, the MoU will be shared with the Afghan side for signatures.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan replying to another question said that 2041 families are still residing at Baka-Khel Camp.
He said only camp for TDPs, Baka Khel Camp, situated in Frontier Regions around 18km south of Bannu City, is jointly managed by Pak Army and Fata Disaster Management Authority.
He said presently the camp is used as a transit hub of TDPs who fled to Afghanistan and it will be de-commissioned after repatriation of these families. He said the TDPs will continue to get assistance until they do not reach homes.