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Azma Bukhari Defends Handing Punjab Jet to Air ForcePakistan
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has called the transfer of the provincial government’s Gulfstream jet to the Pakistan Air Force a routine administrative decision, saying the air force already maintains aircraft used by senior officials.
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In a statement on X, she said the PAF was already looking after aircraft used by the prime minister and other senior government officials, and described the transfer as a routine administrative decision.
Her statement came after the Punjab cabinet approved the transfer of operational control and maintenance of the provincial government’s luxury jet to the PAF.
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According to official documents, the decision was taken because the Punjab government’s VIP Flight Wing had limited technical facilities and trained staff to operate and maintain such a modern aircraft.
The documents said the PAF had the required technical skills, trained staff and experience to handle the Gulfstream G500, and that the aircraft had been deregistered with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority while the PAF had given it a new tail number.
Three serving PAF pilots have been sent to the Punjab government on deputation, and will work with provincial pilots to operate the aircraft, according to the report.
A memorandum of understanding between the Punjab government and the PAF also sets out their responsibilities for aircraft maintenance, technical matters and expenses.
Taking a swipe at the opposition, Azma Bukhari said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz remained a major topic of discussion among her critics because of Punjab’s development work.
The decision has brought the aircraft back into public discussion, particularly after reports about Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s private visit to London in September 2026 to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony, when questions were raised over the use and cost of the government aircraft.
Maryam Nawaz had defended its use, saying the aircraft, worth around Rs9 billion, belonged to the Chief Minister’s Office and was not her personal property.
Reports about the purchase of the Gulfstream G500 first appeared in February this year. The 2019-manufactured jet, which arrived in Lahore in late December 2025, was estimated to have cost around Rs10 billion, according to reports at the time.
When reports of the purchase first surfaced, Azma Bukhari described the jet as part of a broader fleet plan for the proposed provincial airline, Air Punjab, and said some aircraft would be purchased and others leased.
The Punjab government did not comment on the latest cabinet decision, according to one report, while the transfer of the jet’s operations to the PAF has been reported by several outlets.
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