She was on an official visit to Pakistan, supposedly to discuss immigration and see the devastation wrought by last year's floods.
But pakistani immigrant Cabinet minister Baroness Warsi astonished her hosts by slipping away in the middle of the day to attend a family wedding – with her security entourage in tow.
The Tory party chairman did not pay for the cost of this security when they made a 160-mile round trip to a luxury hotel to join her nephew and 350 guests for a lavish party.
Extensive security arrangements were put in place ahead of her arrival, with a senior Pakistani police officer inspecting the hall and scrutinising the guest list.
Hotel insiders said guests were woken early on the morning of the wedding and told to move their parked cars in preparation for her arrival.
But the Foreign Office made no official mention of her attendance.
A hotel source said the security demands caused chaos.
He added: 'There were no parliamentarians from the area at the wedding. It was solely a family function. She came all the way from Islamabad and went back in the evening.'
Lady Warsi and several armed guards were driven from Islamabad, the capital, to Mir Pur for the wedding during a four-day trip to Pakistan in February.
She joined her husband Iftikhar Azam for the event at the plush Regency Hotel, where rooms cost nearly £100 a night, before being driven back to Islamabad.
The groom, Chaudhry Mohammad Afzal, is the son of Lady Warsi's brother-in-law.
The Foreign Office published extensive details of the official visit to Pakistan on its website, including pictures of Lady Warsi attending a briefing on the flood relief effort.
It also showed her riding in a helicopter over flood-affected areas and visiting a girls' school taking part in a project linking it with a school in Bury, Greater Manchester. But no mention was made of Lady Warsi attending the wedding.
Labour MP John Mann said: 'It is outrageous if taxpayers were forced to pick up any part of the tab for the Conservative party chairman to attend a family wedding.'
A spokesman for the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'When it's a Government trip there will obviously be a bill passed on to the taxpayer but extra costs shouldn't be racked up by using a security team for personal events.
'At a time when the Government has to find big savings, it's crucial that the costs of foreign trips like this are kept down.'
Although she is a member of the Cabinet, Lady Warsi's official role is 'Minister without Portfolio' – meaning she does not have any specific policy responsibilities.
The hotel source said: 'Security were told that guests were asleep, but did not listen and told us to wake them up and ask them to take out their cars from the hotel.
'Lady Warsi came here before 1pm when about 350 guests were inside the hall. Most knew that she was coming and were waiting to take lunch with her. She stayed there till 3.30pm.
'The security from the British High Commission accompanied her. The ladies in the hall rushed to receive her. She kissed both the bride and the groom and went to meet the elders of the family in the hall.'
A spokesman for Lady Warsi admitted that the minister did not contribute to the cost of her security during the wedding trip.
But pakistani immigrant Cabinet minister Baroness Warsi astonished her hosts by slipping away in the middle of the day to attend a family wedding – with her security entourage in tow.
The Tory party chairman did not pay for the cost of this security when they made a 160-mile round trip to a luxury hotel to join her nephew and 350 guests for a lavish party.
Extensive security arrangements were put in place ahead of her arrival, with a senior Pakistani police officer inspecting the hall and scrutinising the guest list.
Hotel insiders said guests were woken early on the morning of the wedding and told to move their parked cars in preparation for her arrival.
But the Foreign Office made no official mention of her attendance.
A hotel source said the security demands caused chaos.
He added: 'There were no parliamentarians from the area at the wedding. It was solely a family function. She came all the way from Islamabad and went back in the evening.'
Lady Warsi and several armed guards were driven from Islamabad, the capital, to Mir Pur for the wedding during a four-day trip to Pakistan in February.
She joined her husband Iftikhar Azam for the event at the plush Regency Hotel, where rooms cost nearly £100 a night, before being driven back to Islamabad.
The groom, Chaudhry Mohammad Afzal, is the son of Lady Warsi's brother-in-law.
The Foreign Office published extensive details of the official visit to Pakistan on its website, including pictures of Lady Warsi attending a briefing on the flood relief effort.
It also showed her riding in a helicopter over flood-affected areas and visiting a girls' school taking part in a project linking it with a school in Bury, Greater Manchester. But no mention was made of Lady Warsi attending the wedding.
Labour MP John Mann said: 'It is outrageous if taxpayers were forced to pick up any part of the tab for the Conservative party chairman to attend a family wedding.'
A spokesman for the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'When it's a Government trip there will obviously be a bill passed on to the taxpayer but extra costs shouldn't be racked up by using a security team for personal events.
'At a time when the Government has to find big savings, it's crucial that the costs of foreign trips like this are kept down.'
Although she is a member of the Cabinet, Lady Warsi's official role is 'Minister without Portfolio' – meaning she does not have any specific policy responsibilities.
The hotel source said: 'Security were told that guests were asleep, but did not listen and told us to wake them up and ask them to take out their cars from the hotel.
'Lady Warsi came here before 1pm when about 350 guests were inside the hall. Most knew that she was coming and were waiting to take lunch with her. She stayed there till 3.30pm.
'The security from the British High Commission accompanied her. The ladies in the hall rushed to receive her. She kissed both the bride and the groom and went to meet the elders of the family in the hall.'
A spokesman for Lady Warsi admitted that the minister did not contribute to the cost of her security during the wedding trip.
