Musharraf's foreign tours cost Pak Rs 1.4 bn

Islamabad, Apr 24: During the past five years, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf traveled to around 40 countries costing the country"s exchequer Rs 1.4 billion, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in the National Assembly yesterday. The countries that Musharraf visited during this period included the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia and China, between January 2003 and February 2008.

Musharraf made eight foreign tours during 2003, which comprised two visits to the US, and one visit each to the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Russia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Korea, the Daily Times quoted the minister as telling the country"s parliament. These tours cost the country Rs 197.543 million. During 2004, the president toured the US twice, and also travelled to the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Finland, Azerbaijan, UAE, Afghanistan, Morocco, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and France.

ANI