Rabbani questions special allocation for ISI chief

Asks govt to convene an in-camera session to brief MPs on the issue

ISLAMABAD: Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani has questioned Rs4.35 billion allocations made in the proposed budget for next financial year for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general under the head of ‘special assignment’.

Taking part in ongoing discussion on budget 2018-19 in the upper house of parliament on Thursday, Senator Rabbani demanded that the government hold an in-camera session to brief about ‘the special assignment head’ for which the allocations have been made.

“The government can convene special indoor session of both houses of parliament for this purpose, if it does not want to make public purpose of this hefty allocation or if it feels the matter is too sensitive,” he said. However, the senator did not get any response from treasury or the chair.



Rabbani claimed that besides Rs1.1 trillion under defence budget, another Rs260 billion is paid by the federal government from civilian budget to ex-servicemen as pension.

Other than these allocations, many other defence related expenses including those for the country’s nuclear programme and hardware purchases are not mentioned in the budget. On the other hand, only Rs97 billion has been allocated for education and Rs40 billion for health.

He said development and progress can counter terrorism. Rabbani opposed a proposal made by a ruling party lawmaker to make education a federal subject, saying the 18th amendment has corrected this historic wrong.

Rabbani was head of the parliamentary committee which had drafted the 18th constitutional amendment back in 2010. He is a strong supporter of devolution and defends it vociferously.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Nauman Wazir said there is a need to restructure the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Without bringing reforms in the FBR, the country’s revenue collections cannot be improved, he added. He also criticised the government’s amnesty schemes.

Panel on circular debt

The Senate also notified a 12-member special committee to look into chronic issue of circular debt. Headed by the PTI’s Shibli Faraz the panel would examine all individual components of circular debt and measures taken by the government to address causes of ever mounting debt.

It will also examine possibility of establishing a high level monitoring committee to oversee proposed reforms the government would come up to alleviate circular debt and address its underlying causes.



Walkout in solidarity of journalists

All groups on the opposition benches staged a walkout to record their protest over manhandling of journalists who had rallied at D-Chowk to mark the World Press Freedom Day. Leader of Opposition Sherry Rehman criticised the government for using force against peaceful procession of journalists.

“The PPP along with other parties including incumbent ruling party PML-N in a covenant signed in 2006 had promised freedom of press.  The PML-N through its actions has buried the Charter of Democracy,” she added.

On her insistence to investigate the matter, the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani asked the government to brief the house on the issue when it reconvenes today [Friday].