The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has not approved Rs1.094 billion for the purchase of a new luxury executive jet for the military leadership, contrary to claims circulating on social media, officials have clarified.
According to ECC sources and Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials, the allocation is exclusively meant for the maintenance, operational overhaul and induction-related logistics of an existing aircraft currently being used by the prime minister.
The clarification comes amid social media claims that the government had sanctioned funds for the procurement of a high-end executive aircraft, such as the Embraer Lineage 1000, for military leadership.
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Officials said the amount had been misrepresented, stressing that the approved grant was linked to the upkeep of an existing government-owned aircraft and did not involve the acquisition of a new one.
The financial figures also contradict claims of a new purchase. An executive jet of the Embraer Lineage 1000 class is estimated to cost between $25 million and $50 million or more, equivalent to approximately Rs7 billion to Rs14 billion. The Rs1.094 billion allocation, estimated at around $3.9 million, is substantially below the aircraft’s purchase price.
Officials explained that the funds would cover essential maintenance requirements, including engine overhauls, avionics upkeep and other operational expenses associated with the state’s existing VIP transport fleet.
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They maintained that allocations for the maintenance and operational requirements of government-owned aircraft fall within routine administrative and budgetary procedures.
The officials termed the portrayal of the allocation as funding for a new luxury aircraft for military leadership factually incorrect and misleading.
