Maryam’s Punjab govt faces scrutiny over $40 million Gulfstream jet purchase

Pakistan’s Punjab government is facing renewed scrutiny over its purchase of a luxury Gulfstream jet, with Kamran Khan questioning whether the provincial administration used public funds appropriately and demanding transparency over the aircraft’s cost and use.

In the latest episode of his On My Radar show, Khan said the controversy could have political consequences for Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, drawing a comparison with the questions over assets that contributed to the political crisis surrounding former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif nearly a decade ago.

“The difference is that this time, the issue is not the London flats, but matters related to a Gulfstream jet worth billions of rupees purchased from the Punjab government’s treasury,” Khan said.

He questioned whether Maryam Nawaz had betrayed the people of Punjab in February by ordering the purchase of a luxury Gulfstream jet for approximately 11 billion Pakistani rupees ($38 million to $42 million), and whether she was now using it for private and family travel.

The controversy intensified after reports confirmed that Maryam Nawaz had traveled to London with her family on the government aircraft to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony.

Government explanations draw further questions

Khan said the issue was no longer merely a political allegation. He cited a statement by Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, who initially said the chief minister had already paid the cost of the Gulfstream flight from Lahore to London. The following day, Bukhari changed her position, saying the expenses would be calculated after the visit and Maryam Nawaz would pay the amount through legal procedures.

Khan also referred to a post by senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal two days earlier. Without directly naming Maryam Nawaz, Iqbal invoked the example of Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz, writing that when a nation is burdened by inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of necessities, simplicity, moderation and sensitivity to public sentiment become a moral responsibility for its leadership.

Khan urged Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, to heed the message from their longtime and loyal colleague, who he said was warning them, through indirect references, to avoid a crisis similar to the Panama Papers controversy.

The purchase has also drawn questions from within the ruling party. Khan cited Federal Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik, who expressed reservations about the Punjab government’s explanation for buying the aircraft. He also referred to a statement by senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, who said the jet would serve the Punjab government and not Maryam Nawaz personally.

Questions over the jet’s purpose and cost

The aircraft is a 2019-model Gulfstream G500, which Khan described as one of the world’s most expensive executive business jets. He said aircraft of this type are valued at approximately $38 million to $42 million on the international market, equivalent to roughly 11 billion Pakistani rupees.

The jet typically accommodates about a dozen passengers in highly comfortable seating and includes a meeting area and VIP facilities.

Khan said the controversy extends beyond the purchase price, describing the aircraft as a potential financial burden on the provincial treasury. Aviation experts, he said, estimate that operating the jet for five to six hours a week could cost Punjab approximately 650 million to 750 million rupees annually, including fuel, maintenance, pilots, insurance and other essential expenses.

If the aircraft is used more extensively, its annual operating bill could approach 1 billion rupees, he said.

Khan also cited journalist Muhammad Malik’s report on ARY News’ program Khabar, which disclosed that the two pilots’ combined monthly salaries amount to $70,000.

When reports emerged that the aircraft had arrived in Pakistan in December last year, the Punjab government did not clearly explain its purchase price, purpose or procurement process, according to Khan. The government later described it as part of the proposed Air Punjab project.

That explanation prompted a basic question: Why would a proposed passenger airline need an expensive executive jet with seating for only about 12 people?

Khan said the aircraft was already being used for VIP flights by the chief minister between various cities in Punjab when the Air Punjab project was announced, even though the proposed airline did not yet have approval for full air operations.

He said the explanations offered by the government and senior PML-N leaders had only raised more questions.

Maryam Nawaz’s foreign trips face renewed scrutiny

Khan noted that Maryam Nawaz’s overseas travel had faced media scrutiny before the Gulfstream purchase. In August last year, controversy arose after she took family members on an official visit to Japan.

At the time, Bukhari said Maryam Nawaz would personally pay the expenses of family members accompanying her on the official trip. Khan included a clip in which Bukhari said audit details of the Japan visit would be shared soon.

Since becoming chief minister, Maryam Nawaz has visited Japan, Thailand, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Brazil and China twice, Khan said. Her private and medical trips to Switzerland and the United Kingdom are also part of the record.

However, he said the central issue now was the purchase of the 11 billion-rupee luxury aircraft in February.

Calls for receipts and public disclosure

Khan said the controversy should not be dismissed as a political slogan or a social media allegation. He cited Article 19-A of Pakistan’s Constitution, which provides a fundamental right of access to information on matters of public importance.

He said citizens had previously sought details about the aircraft’s price, the chief minister’s travel and related expenses under the right-to-information framework. However, he claimed the Chief Minister’s Office had remained silent and cited legal exemptions.

“If Maryam Nawaz and the Punjab government believe that everything was done according to the law and rules, there is only one solution to this controversy,” Khan said.

“Open the file. Show the law. Show the receipt. And end this matter forever.”

Khan said the controversy would not be easy to resolve because 11 billion rupees was a substantial amount for a province whose residents face significant economic challenges.

He compared the reported aircraft purchase with allocations in Punjab’s 2026-27 development program. The program sets aside 9.6 billion rupees for the rehabilitation of all basic health units and dispensaries, he said. The province’s current budget allocates 8 billion rupees for providing basic necessities such as clean water.

He also said 10 billion rupees had been allocated for the rehabilitation of Punjab’s 1,500-kilometer regional railway network.

Khan argued that the reported cost of the Gulfstream exceeded the allocations for several important public projects.

“The question is not only whether Maryam Nawaz had the authority to purchase an 11 billion-rupee aircraft,” Khan said. “The question is also whether the head of a poor province should have spent 11 billion rupees on public facilities or on a luxury jet.”

He concluded that the controversy would not disappear easily and predicted that the Gulfstream would continue to follow Maryam Nawaz throughout her political career.