ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s decisionto live in a smaller, simpler residence and not in the official PrimeMinister’s House will save the exorbitant amount of Pakistani Rs1.85billion spent annually on the PM House.

It will also send a positive message to the masses that their primeminister is not wasting public money on a life of luxuries and protocol,the Gulf News reported.

Imran Khan has, in a number of interviews and press conferences, made itclear that he will neither stay in the PM House nor enjoy VVIP protocolafter assuming office.

The cricketer-turned politician has also vowed to ensure that his ministersand provincial chief ministers, where his party is in power, also followprinciples austerity.

Pakistan’s PM House, though a relatively new building inaugurated by theformer deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif only two decades ago when he waselected for a second term, is located on the main Constitution Avenue,covering an area of 135 acres, and luxuriously appointed.

The red-brick, heavily guarded building is modelled after the Mughal erapalaces that housed royalty. The PM House features five spacious lawns, afruit orchard, a number of swimming pools, a banquet hall, media andcommittee rooms. There are also 10 servants quarters, residences forsecurity officers, staff and members of the Public & Works Department andpolice.

Inside the PM House, around 50 protocol officers work in their offices. Thesecurity budget of the complex is around Rs980 million, while Rs700 millionare allocated for PM House staff. Similarly, Rs150 million is spentannually on gifts for visiting dignitaries and guests, and Rs15 million onrenovation and decoration.

Sadly during the tenure of PML-N, budget for PM house kept on mountingsuccessively. For 2014-15, PM office was allocated a heavy sum of Rs779million. For the next year 2015-16, it was Rs881.6 million. For 2016-17,again the budget was increased and reached up to around Rs900 million. Forthe financial year 2017-18, another heavy sum of Rs916 million has beenallocated. A country under mammoth debt and meagre economy cannot affordthese expenditures for a longer period of time, indeed. Imran Khan’spromise to curtail these expenditures will definitely improve his image notonly in Pakistan but also all around the world.

According to the PTI leadership, four universities equalling the area ofPakistan’s top varsity — Quaid-e-Azam University (spread over 35 acres inthe capital) — can be set up in the PM House.

Imran Khan has, instead, indicated that he will utilise the PM House landfor publicly beneficial purposes, such as education or health.

The PTI leader, in his post-election victory speech had stated hisintention to set up house in the Minister’s Enclave rather than PM House.Later, it was also suggested that he should opt for the Speaker’s Houseinstead of Minister’s Enclave.

Even as a final decision is yet to be made, one thing is clear: Khan’sdecision to eschew PM House will show the people that he means to keep hisword. – APP