A day after Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry defended Prime Minister Imran Khan’s use of chopper claiming that it only cost “Rs55 per kilometer”, a BBC Urdu report claimed that the trip, in actual, cost around Rs12,800.
According to the breakdown given by the media outlet, the distance between PM Khan’s Bani Gala residence and the PM Secretariat is 15 kilometres. In aviation terms, this comes down to 8 nautical miles while Rs1,600 is the amount spent on one nautical mile.
If multiplied by eight, it adds up to Rs12,800. Even if the cost of fuel and the country’s currency valuation is not taken into account from April, the cost is much higher than the amount stated by the information minister.
Earlier in the day, Fawad, while defending his claim of Rs55/km had said that he had “Googled the per kilometre cost” of PM Khan’s commute from his official accommodation to Bani Gala residence.
Addressing a press conference after the federal cabinet meeting, Fawad, in response to journalists’ queries, said that he had Googled the cost of the use of helicopter, suggesting the media representatives to check it themselves too.
“He [Imran Khan] is the prime minister. Would he travel via a taxi?” the minister had asked, adding that the premier travelling by air did not affect the public.
