ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has admitted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan?s use of government-owned helicopters for 74 hours.

According to sources, not only Imran but others in his political circle had also been using the helicopters ? these include Awn Chaudhry and Abrar-ul-Haq.

The helicopters were in the PTI chief?s use despite law suggesting that even ministers cannot bring them to their use, sources said.

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Sources quoted the aviation laws and said it was a crime for political leaders to use government-owned helicopters even for political purposes.

Besides the party chief and his friends, the helicopters have also been used by KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, who used the aircraft to go to the wedding of KP Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani?s relative, sources added.

However, a handout issued by the KP government a day earlier states the PTI-led government in the province has not used the helicopters for any purpose ?other than official business of the government?.

?Imran Khan has never used any of the official helicopters and/or for his private or personal use, so the question of hiring a heli at commercial rates does not arise,? the handout reads. ?A government helicopter any way is never given for private use.?

It adds that the trips mentioned in a section of the media were all official visits.  

On January 29, Geo News reported that the KP government spent millions of rupees on Imran's use of the provincial government's helicopters.

The PTI chairperson also said that he welcomed the examining of the issue by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He expressed hope that the accountability body will also look into the "abuse of official planes, helicopters etcetera by Zardaris and Sharifs".