ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's anti-graft agency has launched a probe into the alleged use of a provincial government helicopter by Opposition leader Imran Khan that reportedly cost the national exchequer over Rs 100 million, according to a media report today.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated an inquiry into the alleged use of a helicopter of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Express News reported.
NAB chairperson Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal had earlier ordered the Director-General NAB Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to investigate reports that the PTI chief had used the helicopter.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is ruled by PTI, a party headed by Imran, the 65-year-old cricketer-turned-politician.
The news about the probe has come two days after his party confirmed that Khan has married for a third time.
The provincial NAB officials have begun an inquiry into the matter, and an investigation committee has been set up, the report quoted sources as saying.
Earlier this month, NAB chief Iqbal had issued a statement in which he said that Khan had been using the government helicopter for non-government visits.
According to Iqbal, Khan had used two helicopters for 73 hours.
"It costs about Rs 1 to 1.2 million per hour to use one of the helicopters that Imran flew in.
The other helicopter used by the PTI chief costs 0.5 million per hour," Iqbal said.
The figures quoted above seem to indicate that Imran Khan's flights have cost the national exchequer in excess of Rs 100 million, the report said.
However, the figures quoted by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, mentions only Rs 2.1 million.
The NAB chief had asked authorities to probe this discrepancy, the report said.