Rana Sanaullah defends Punjab govt's decision to purchase new jet

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan has defended the Punjab government’s decision to purchase a new aircraft, saying the move is being unnecessarily politicised.

Speaking during a Senate session, Sanaullah rejected the impression that the jet is meant for the personal use of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. "Some people have made the plane an issue only for propaganda. Punjab is a big province; it has huge resources [to buy such a plane]," he stated.

He explained that the aircraft is being acquired as a provincial asset and not for any individual. According to him, the existing government jet has been in service for nearly 25 to 30 years and is due for replacement. He added that the new plane is expected to remain operational for another 30 to 40 years.

The clarification comes amid strong political criticism over the Punjab government’s reported purchase of a luxury Gulfstream business jet worth between $38 million and $42 million (around Rs11 billion). Opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has claimed the aircraft is being procured solely for the chief minister’s personal use.