Punjab officials remain silent on reports that the provincial government has acquired a Gulfstream GVII-G500 aircraft for VIP transport. The Stratcom Bureau, known for defence news, said on Monday that the plane, made in 2019, costs around $38 million to $42 million and carries the registration number N144S. The Federal Aviation Administration registry shows the plane is owned by a US trust company that often deals with aircraft for non-US buyers. Flight tracking says the plane has flown between airports in Punjab since February 12. Dawn tried to get confirmation from Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Additional Chief Secretary Ahmad Raza Sarwar, and other officials, but they did not respond or denied the purchase. Critics, including former finance minister Miftah Ismail and ex-Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair, slammed the alleged purchase. Miftah said on X, "So while Pakistanis are supposed to tighten our belts and sacrifice, Punjab’s entitled VIPs are fastening their seatbelts for taking off in luxury private jets." Zubair called it a "beautiful plane worth more than 1,000 crore" and questioned if a struggling country could afford this luxury. "The Punjab government may issue a denial if not true," he added.