LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has paid Rs27.194 million to settle the expenses of the government aircraft used during her private visit to London, according to payment documents.
A cheque for Rs27,194,004 was deposited at the Valencia Branch of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Lahore.
The payment was made through a Bank of Punjab cheque, while the amount was deposited into the Punjab government’s treasury account.
The bank pay-in slip is dated 17 September 2026 and records the depositor as a citizen named Umar Abbas.
The payment follows earlier government statements that Maryam Nawaz would personally bear the expenses of the aircraft used for her London visit.
The reported payment amount is Rs27.194 million, following revisions to the aircraft expense bill.
CM Maryam travelled to London last week to attend the graduation ceremony of her daughter Mahnoor and returned to Lahore. The government insisted the CM bore all expenses of the trip.
Responding to criticism that the CM used the official jet for a private visit, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari rejected the allegation. “Absolutely incorrect. The Punjab chief minister paid all expenses for her London trip out of her own pocket,” she said in a post on X.
Opposition leaders, meanwhile, continued to target the chief minister over her use of the official aircraft. Former federal minister and PTI leader Moonis Elahi, in a post on X, linked the controversy to the rising cost of fuel.
The 2019-manufactured Gulfstream G500, reportedly valued at around $38 million to $42m — more than Rs10 billion — has remained under scrutiny ever since reports emerged about its acquisition by the provincial government.
