In a major development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali has signed a bill legalizing the use of the provincial government-owned helicopter.
According to the details by the local media, the KP governor has signed the “helicopter bill” and the legislation bill is now part of the constitution. It states that the official helicopter is now available for private booking on rent. Moreover, ministers, special assistants, and government officers can use the official KP helicopter.
After signing the new amendment bill all KP helicopter flights after November 2008 are legal now and no one can raise objections on this matter now.
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Interestingly, the governor has also written a dissenting note, saying he is not satisfied with the bill. Pertinent to mention that the bill has been a bone of contention between the KP governor and the PTI-led provincial government as the former is of the view that the bill was approved just to protect the past use of the helicopters by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
“Legislation to facilitate one person is unconstitutional,” he said, adding that anyone could challenge it in court.
Earlier this month, the provincial assembly passed the KP Ministers (Salaries, Allowance, and Privileges) (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, amid resistance by the opposition parties which claimed that it would provide ‘blanket immunity’ to those who illegally used the provincial government’s helicopters.
KP Governor & KP govt lock horns over helicopter use
Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali refused permission for the landing of a helicopter of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan at the Governor House amid intensifying differences between them over the use of the chopper. Haji Ghulam Ali said the CM’s helicopter would not be allowed to land at the Governor House, saying KP CM Khan was using the helicopter as his “personal property”.
گورنر غلام علی بمقابلہ بیرسٹر محمد علی سیف pic.twitter.com/BgoK2YMT3F
— Muhammad Faheem (@MeFaheem) December 29, 2022
He said only helicopters of the Pakistan government would be allowed to land at the Governor’s House. The differences developed between them when the chief minister thrice refused to provide a helicopter to the governor for use.