ISLAMABAD: After receiving flak for claiming that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s commute via the helicopter costs around Rs 50-55 per kilometre, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Tuesday said that he had verified his claim using the popular search engine, Google.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the federal cabinet, the minister said he had verified the cost of the use of the helicopter for PM’s commute, suggesting newsmen to verify it themselves.
Imran Khan is the prime minister, the minister said, questioning would he (PM) travel by a taxi.
During his appearance on a TV show a day earlier, Chaudhry had said that PM Khan’s use of chopper costs around Rs 55 per kilometre.
The statement has since drawn massive flak from social media users, who have been sharing memes to mock the claim.
In his interview, the minister had said PM Khan’s commute via helicopter did not cost much. He said helicopter was not much expensive if not hired on rent.
“It is preferable to travel via a helicopter instead of cavalcade on roads that cause hardships to people,” Chaudhry had said, adding that “four helicopters were already at the PM’s House, which is a prerogative of any prime minister”.
The information minister said that the government had slashed Rs 550 million under the austerity measure.
He added that 530 people were working at the PM’s House whose number had come down to below 10.
Published in Daily Times, August 29th 2018.
