Fact Check: Did President Alvi leave for Haj on govt expenses?

ISLAMABAD: Did President Arif Alvi along with his family and security staff depart for Haj on government expenses as claimed by the media and social media?

The Press Secretary to the Presidency claims the President is paying all the expenses of Haj for his family from his own pocket.

Earlier, the mainstream and social media went abuzz about a huge entourage of the President and his family to perform Haj on government’s expenses. The media initially claimed that a 52-member delegation of President Arif Alvi, his family and security staff will perform Haj on taxpayers’ money.

President Arif Alvi was hugely criticised on the news stories of his family’s Haj. Apart from the President, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar was also criticised for his statement about a special Haj flight for parliamentarians and federal cabinet. Later, a list of 25-member delegation of the President along with the members of his family and security staff went viral on social media and people raised questions about who else is left to perform Haj on taxpayers’ money.

The News contacted the Press Secretary to the President to confirm how many members of the President’s family and his security staff have departed for Haj and who is paying the expenses? The Press Secretary to the President informed The News that only seven members of the President’s family have departed for Haj on a special flight. This is the same flight on which federal ministers and parliamentarians were onboard.

The Press Secretary informed this correspondent that Federal Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar among other parliamentarians were also on the same flight. There was no chartered flight for the President, he said.

About total members of the President’s family, the Press Secretary said only seven members of the President’s family have departed for Haj and the President is paying all the expenses including air ticket as well as the accommodation.

Apart from the President’s family, five members of the President’s staff are also accompanying him including his ADC etc. The family expenses of the President’s staff is being paid by their own pockets. The rumours about a huge entourage of the President, his family and staff are baseless, the secretary to the Presidency commented.