*ISLAMABAD:* The farewell parties organised in honour of outgoing Senatorshave costed nation approximately Rs 1 crore.

Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani, former opposition leader in SenateAitzaz Ahsan and others organised farewell parties whose expenditures ranup to Rs 10 million within a week, *reported*link>alocal media outlet on Thursday.

The Finance and Accounts Branch received a letter written by the SenateSecretariat Protocol Branch which explained that Rs 9.841 million wereincurred over events hosted by Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani and a formerdeputy Senate chairman.

This amount could be re-appropriated in the Entertainment and Gifts accountfor 2017-2018 financial year and revised estimates for the budget taking Rs9.841 million into account have already been submitted, the letterexplained.

The events were organised to honour the outgoing senators and staff.

A total of nine dinners and lunches were hosted between March 6 and March13, 2018 though the March 7 lunch, hosted by the former Senate chairman wasthe most expensive, costing Rs 2.85 million. A dinner on March 8 cost Rs1.99 million and an event hosted for the launch of Senate Publications thenext day cost Rs 1.26 million.

Similarly, Dinners hosted on March 6 and 7 by former leader of the houseRaja Zafarul Haq and former Senate deputy chairman Abdul Ghafoor Haiderirespectively, cost Rs 0.52 million each.

Aitzaz Ahsan hosted a lunch on March 8 that cost Rs 0.5 million.