Panel members offered detailed review of different aspects of the defence budget and its utilisation. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Defence Committee, headed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, on Monday was given a comprehensive briefing on the defence budget at the Parliament House.
Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, Defence Secretary Lt- Gen (R) Alam Khattak and senior officials of the defence ministry were present on the occasion. The briefing included a comprehensive review of different aspects of the defence budget and its utilisation by the three services, as well as affiliated organisations.
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Members of the defence committee expressed satisfaction with the role of the defence ministry and agreed with the recommendations presented by the ministry. The recommendations included modernisation plans for the armed forces, continued support for Operation Zarb-e-Azb and waiving of sales tax and customs duty on defence procurement items.
The defence committee was told that from 2001 till 2015, the United States had provided reimbursement to the government worth $13 billion. This was given in the form of Coalition Support Fund (CSF). The committee was also told that Pakistan had lost over $100 billion in various forms in different sectors since 9/11. The panel was told that the defence budget of $7.7 billion comprised only 17% of the national budget of $43 billion.
The committee was briefed that as a result of some 900 audit paras in the past years the defence ministry had been able to recover Rs1.5 billion. They were also informed that there were strict internal oversights highlighted by the Departmental Audit Committee.
Responding to a petition that the Senate Defence Committee had received for Shuhada Package of the APS martyrs families, the ministry moved a summary on compensation packages. They demanded that martyrs regardless of whether they were government servants or contract employees should be compensated equally. This was approved by the finance ministry. The committee thanked the ministry for promptly and positively responding to this proposal of the Senate Defence Committee.
The Senate Defence Committee also approved the Pakistan Army Amendment Ordinance 2015 and the Cantonment Amendment Ordinance 2015 that had been presented before the Committee.
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Given an overview of Pakistan-Russia military relations Defence Minister Khawaja Asif referred to a qualitative change in the content of the Pakistan-Russia military relationship. He made particular reference to the defence sector mentioning defence cooperation, defence equipment project and offers of military training of Pakistan officers in Russia, among others. Khawaja Asif appreciated the Senate Defence Committee under the leadership of its chairman, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed for its proactive role in promoting civil-military harmony.
The Senate Defence Committee was also briefed that India’s military operations remained Pakistan centric and it continued interference in Pakistan’s territory by supporting terror groups. It also passed a unanimous resolution, moved by Senator Sehar Kamran, strongly condemning Indian shelling and indiscriminate killing of civilians living along the LoC. The committee urged the government to raise this issue with the UN and other international forums.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2015.
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