ISLAMABAD (HRNW): Transparency International Pakistan (TI-P) has formally raised serious concerns regarding the Punjab government’s procurement of a luxury Gulfstream GVII-G500 aircraft, alleging significant violations of the Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules, 2014. In a letter addressed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the anti-corruption watchdog stated that the acquisition of the 2019-manufactured jet, estimated at Rs 11 billion (approx. $42 million), reportedly bypassed mandatory open competitive bidding procedures.
TI-P noted that based on a preliminary review of complaints, the provincial government appears to have failed to float a public tender or advertise the procurement as required under Rule 12 of the PPRA. The watchdog emphasized that any deviation from transparent and competitive bidding must be strictly justified under specific legal exceptions; otherwise, the acquisition constitutes “mis-procurement.”
The controversy intensified as flight records showed the aircraft, using the call sign “Punjab 2,” conducting short regional trips earlier this month. While Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari initially linked the jet to the upcoming regional carrier “Air Punjab,” aviation experts have questioned this justification, noting that executive business jets like the G500 are designed for VIP transport rather than commercial airline operations. TI-P has urged the Chief Minister to investigate why relevant departments permitted the purchase without public tendering and requested that legal action be initiated against any officials found responsible for procedural violations.
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