Maryam’s Rs16bn helicopter claim questioned by experts

Aviation experts’ estimates have cast doubt on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s claim that other provincial governments have acquired helicopters worth Rs16 billion, with available figures showing substantially lower market values for aircraft operated by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh.

Maryam made the claim on October 2 while defending the Punjab government’s recently acquired Gulfstream G500 luxury jet. She said the aircraft was worth between Rs10 billion and Rs11 billion and argued that helicopter purchases by other provinces had received less public attention.

However, an assessment of the provincial aircraft fleets, based on information from officials and aviation experts, found no evidence supporting the claim that the helicopters currently owned by the three provinces collectively or individually carry the stated valuation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has one operational helicopter, a single-engine Eurocopter Écureuil acquired in 2010, according to a provincial official. The province previously operated a Russian-made Mi-171E helicopter alongside the Eurocopter, but the Mi-171E crashed on August 15, 2025, during flood-relief operations.

Imran Aslam Khan, founder of the Aircraft Owners and Operators Association, estimated the remaining Eurocopter’s market value at between Rs499 million and Rs554 million. Another aviation expert placed its value between Rs277 million and Rs554 million.

Balochistan operates a Russian-made Mi-171 helicopter purchased under a contract finalised in January 2017. The aircraft originally cost approximately Rs4.21 billion. However, Khan and Captain Ali Azad, director general of the provincial Aviation Wing, estimated its current market value at around Rs1.662 billion.

Sindh has two helicopters acquired in 1992: a Bell 412HP and a Bell 206L-3. Only the Bell 412HP is currently operational, according to the aviation expert. Although a new aircraft of this type may cost between Rs2.77 billion and Rs3.047 billion, the market value of Sindh’s much older helicopter was estimated at between Rs415.5 million and Rs969.5 million.

The second aircraft, a Bell 206L-3, remains grounded. Its estimated market value ranges from Rs138.5 million to Rs207.75 million, depending on its condition.

The figures indicate that the age, operational condition and maintenance history of an aircraft significantly affect its market value. The purchase price of a new helicopter cannot be directly compared with the current value of an older aircraft.

The available estimates do not substantiate Maryam’s claim that the provincial helicopters under review are worth Rs16 billion. However, it remains unclear which aircraft or purchases she was referring to when making the statement.

Requests for clarification were reportedly sent to Punjab Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Affairs Zeeshan Malik and Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari, but no response had been received at the time of publication.