No evidence supports Maryam Nawaz’s claim about Rs16bn provincial helicopters

An examination of helicopters owned by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh has found no evidence to support Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s claim that other provinces have acquired helicopters worth Rs16 billion.

Maryam made the remarks on October 2 while defending her use of Punjab’s recently acquired Gulfstream G500 aircraft during a speech in Lahore.

“I cannot travel on a motorbike [in the province],” she said. “My aircraft is worth Rs10 billion or Rs11 billion. Other provinces have acquired helicopters worth Rs16 billion, but nobody talks about them.”

However, interviews with aviation experts and provincial officials, along with estimates of the aircraft’s current market values, did not substantiate the claim.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa currently has one operational helicopter, a single-engine Eurocopter Écureuil purchased in 2010, according to a provincial official who requested anonymity.

Imran Aslam Khan, founder of the Aircraft Owners and Operators Association, said the provincial government had historically used two helicopters to transport the governor, chief minister and cabinet members. These were a Eurocopter and a Russian-made Mi-171E.

The Mi-171E crashed on August 15, 2025, while supporting flood-relief operations in the province.

Khan estimated the remaining Eurocopter’s current market value at Rs499 million to Rs554 million ($1.8 million to $2 million), based on an exchange rate of Rs277 to the dollar.

Another aviation expert familiar with the provincial fleet estimated its value at Rs277 million to Rs554 million ($1 million to $2 million).

Balochistan

Balochistan has one Russian-made Mi-171 helicopter, purchased under a contract concluded in January 2017, according to officials.

The helicopter was originally acquired for approximately Rs4.21 billion ($15.2 million).

Khan estimated its current market value at Rs1.662 billion ($6 million). Captain Ali Azad, director general of Balochistan’s Aviation Wing, provided the same estimate.

Sindh

Sindh’s helicopter fleet comprises two aircraft acquired in 1992: a Bell 412HP and a Bell 206L-3.

According to Khan, only the Bell 412HP is currently operational. Manufactured in 1991, it was first registered in the United States in December of that year before being exported to Pakistan.

Khan estimated that a new Bell 412HP costs approximately Rs2.77 billion to Rs3.047 billion ($10 million to $11 million). He placed the current market value of Sindh’s older aircraft at Rs415.5 million to Rs969.5 million ($1.5 million to $3.5 million), depending on the remaining service life of its components and the completeness of its maintenance records.

The second helicopter, a Bell 206L-3, is grounded. It was also purchased in 1992 as part of a package deal.

Khan estimated that an aircraft of this type could currently be worth Rs138.5 million to Rs207.75 million ($500,000 to $750,000).

The estimates provided by aviation experts place the current market values of the helicopters examined in the report between Rs138.5 million and Rs1.662 billion, well below Rs16 billion.

It remains unclear which helicopter or helicopters Maryam was referring to when she made her remarks.