By Imran Malik | National Affairs & Accountability Desk | MediaBites.com.pk
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz has paid Rs 27.2 million to a National Bank of Pakistan account via Bank of Punjab cheque for her government Gulfstream jet London trip expenses.
The controversy that has consumed Punjab’s political landscape for the past two weeks appears to have reached its financial conclusion — but the questions it leaves behind are more significant than the payment itself.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has reportedly submitted Rs 2 crore 72 lakh (Rs 27.2 million) to a National Bank of Pakistan account titled ZGBMRA through a Bank of Punjab cheque numbered 2002498721, submitted by Umer Abbas with contact number 03334741488.
No details have been revealed about the Bank of Punjab account title from which the payment originated.
The Story So Far — A Week of Controversy
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s use of the provincial government’s jet during her recent private visit to London triggered fresh controversy, with opposition leaders questioning the use of an official aircraft for a family event. CM Maryam travelled to London to attend the graduation ceremony of her daughter Mahnoor and returned to Lahore on Wednesday.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari rejected the allegation, saying “Absolutely incorrect. The Punjab chief minister paid all expenses for her London trip out of her own pocket.”
The 2019-manufactured Gulfstream G500, reportedly valued at around $38 million to $42 million — equivalent to more than Rs10 billion — has remained under scrutiny since reports emerged about its acquisition by the provincial government.
The Disputed Amount — Three Different Figures
The Rs 27.2 million payment disclosed by MediaBites sources is the third figure to emerge in this controversy and it does not match either of the previously reported amounts.
Some experts estimated the total expense at more than Rs 10 million, citing fuel, airport parking and airspace-related charges. According to an adjournment motion in the Punjab Assembly, media reports put the expenditure on fuel, parking and other related costs at approximately Rs 12.5 million.
A separate claim surfaced from journalist Syed Imran Shafqat that the Punjab government prepared a challan numbered 32-A and that the total amount Maryam Nawaz was directed to pay amounted to Rs 29,365,976 — nearly Rs 2 crore 93 lakh.
The Rs 27.2 million figure now reported by MediaBites falls between the Rs 12.5 million cited in the Punjab Assembly motion and the Rs 29.3 million claimed by Syed Imran Shafqat. No official confirmation or denial has been issued by the spokesperson of PML-N or the Punjab government regarding the specific challan amount.
The Political Context
A Punjab Assembly opposition member submitted an adjournment motion requesting an urgent debate over the alleged use of the Punjab government aircraft for CM Maryam Nawaz’s private London trip. The motion said that if the reports were correct, the use of a government aircraft for a private family event raised questions about the use of public resources and the protection of taxpayers’ money.
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb backed the chief minister, saying the criticism stems from her rising popularity and strong performance rather than legitimate policy concerns.
MediaBites Assessment
The payment of Rs 27.2 million is a significant development. It suggests the government has moved from verbal assurances to actual financial reimbursement. That is a step forward in accountability.
But a reimbursement made through an unnamed Bank of Punjab account to an NBP account with an unexplained title, submitted by a third party rather than through official government documentation released to the public, is not the transparent accounting that this controversy requires.
Pakistan’s taxpayers deserve a complete, verified, and publicly released breakdown of every rupee spent on this trip. The cheque number and account title published by MediaBites today is a beginning. The full account is still outstanding.
— Imran Malik | National Affairs and Accountability Desk | MediaBites.com.pk | Southera.com
MediaBites has independently received information about the payment details including the cheque number, NBP account title, and Bank of Punjab transfer. The Punjab government and NBP have not officially confirmed these details. MediaBites invites both institutions to verify or correct this information for publication.
Sources: MediaBites sources, Dawn.com, Express Tribune, Daily Qudrat, NayaDaur.tv
