ISLAMABAD – Punjab government’s Gulfstream G500 luxury jet has gone off public flight trackers after its recent trip to Vienna amid criticism over government spending and transparency, raising questions about the accountability of state-owned resources.
The government-owned aircraft, which costs around Rs11 billion, disappeared from public flight tracking platforms and is now marked “private,” and its flight routes, schedules, and durations are all covered up.
The timing of change intensified scrutiny. Reports reveal the jet remained stationed in Lahore for nearly a week after returning from Vienna, only to have its tracking data restricted shortly thereafter.
While aviation tracking services do allow operators to request privacy for sensitive or private flights, critics are questioning why a government-owned asset, a resource funded by taxpayers, is now shielded from record, further triggering accountability and the ethical use of official state resources.
With the aircraft no longer visible on public systems, no one can confirm its next destination, schedule, or when it will return to service. The lack of transparency has left citizens and watchdogs demanding answers, highlighting a broader concern about oversight of government-owned aircraft in Pakistan.
Punjab government earlier responded to criticsm, saying it was supposed for provincial airline, “Air Punjab,” but aviation experts and officials have raised doubts about its feasibility.
The 17-seat jet was however unsuitable for commercial operations and that state-owned Gulfstreams cannot legally serve airline routes.
