If it is so Cheap then Launch a Public Helicopter Service in the Country

Now it has been confirmed that PM Imran Khan is using helicopter for his daily visits to Bani Gala from Prime Minister House. I have no problem with this use of government helicopter for prime minister.  Every prime minister used these planes and hellis for traveling.  It has become norm in Pakistan for the political and business elite to use private planes and helicopters for their traveling.

Imran Khan used private plane and helicopter for the recently concluded election campaign. NAB KPK is already probing a case of misuse of KPK government’s helicopter for personal or political purposes. Imran Khan is not an ordinary folk. He is not a middle class fellow who lives in a 5 or 10 Marla house and using a small car.

I am not writing these lines to scandalize our popular and most humble prime minister who is trying to save each and every penny of this poor nation. I am writing to highlight the most important fact in this whole episode. The statement of information minister Fawad Chaudhry inspired me to write these few lines.

In his interview to a TV channel, the information minister said PM Imran Khan’s commute via helicopter doesn’t cost much and it’s around Rs 55 per km. He said helicopter isn’t much expensive if somebody owns it personally and not hired on rent.

This is really interesting. If the helicopter is so cheap so why not start a public helicopter service between the different cities and areas. For example a hired one way taxi ride between Lahore and Faisalabad cost you Rs. 5000. If you use a publically owned helicopter then it might cost you around 6000. You will save time and also can enjoy a helicopter ride.

The middle class people cannot own or purchase the helicopter but the government can do that to facilitate its citizens.

The government of Naya Pakistan and change should try something different from the previous governments. So let’s launch a state owned helicopter service to facilitate the middle class people of this country. It will be very useful even in Karachi where traffic jams have become routine and people waste lot of time in this traffic mess.

This service can be very useful to enhance the tourism in the mountainous regions of the country. I have no doubt whatever the information minister has said about the cheap helicopter journeys. I know he is not telling lies. He just told us whatever information was pass on to him from concerned quarters.

I am just requesting him to please provide this affordable and cheap service to all those who can afford it. Make the life of middle class people easier. They should feel the change. I am not criticising prime minister but just asking him to provide this service to other countrymen on this rate.

Fawad Chaudhry said it’s preferable to travel via helicopter instead of cavalcade on road that causes hardship to people. He underlined that four helicopters are already at the PM House from previous regimes, which is prerogative of any prime minister.

So dear prime minister, there are three spare helicopters in PM house according to information minister. Please handover these helicopters to tourism department to facilitate the tourists. Baluchistan government can use the helicopters to attract the tourists. The use of helicopter can enhance tourism in Baluchistan.