ISLAMABAD - Unlike his predecessors and most of the cabinet members, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, being Opposition Leader of the National Assembly bears all the ‘renovation costs’ of his official residence inside the Ministers’ Enclave in Islamabad from his own pocket. The Public Works Department (PWD) is the relevant agency to execute repair and maintenance work on government-owned buildings including the Ministers’ Enclave. Sources privy to the development informed that Shehbaz Sharif had desired to carry out all the repair and maintenance work at the opposition leader house from his own pocket and did not claim any reimbursement from the Public Works Department on account of expenses incurred on the said work as well.
An officer, who was deputed at the Ministers’ Enclave at that time, informed The Nation that after being elected as opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif’s staff once called them and inquired about the repair and maintenance of the opposition leader house. He said, later, his staff conveyed to us that Shehbaz Sharif has decided that he will not only spend all the money on the renovation from his own pocket but also assured that he will not claim any reimbursement for this repair work in future.
When contacted, Executive Engineer of Pak PWD Mudasser Asghar confirmed that his organization had not spent any funds for the special renovation of the opposition leader's house since 2018.
He, however, said, he cannot inform how much expensive work has been carried out in the opposition leader's house by Shehbaz Sharif on his own as it could only be ascertained once he will vacate the house and hand over its possession to the PWD. It is pertinent to mention here that Mohammad Mian Soomro, who was the federal minister for privatization in the last cabinet, was the only minister who also opted to get the renovation of his bungalow by using personal funds. He was allotted Bungalow No 37 in the Ministers Enclave but he did all of the repair and maintenance from his own pocket and he also did not demand any reimbursement from Pak PWD. Sources inside the PWD informed that accept Shehbaz Sharif and Mohammad Mian Soomro, all others, who were allotted residences inside the Ministers Enclave got millions of rupees spent from the public exchequer