ISLAMABAD – Senators were dumbfounded on Wednesday after learning that the total financial assistance being given to loss-making public sector enterprises (PSEs) exceeded the country’s total allocation for education sector in the Budget 2010-11.
The Upper House was told during the question hour that around Rs 50,182 million were being provided to Pakistan Railways as assistance to compensate the losses during the last five years. Raising objection to the financial assistance, Senator Saleem Saifullah said that the total losses of state enterprises were larger than the country’s allocation for education and subsidy was still being paid from the state exchequer to compensate their losses.
He said that the government was raising prices of various commodities but did not make any effort to put its house in order and end corruption in public sector departments. The House was also informed that over Rs 7,362 million were collected by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) since January 2008 to date. The House was told that Rs 4,216 million were collected from the sale of residential plots and Rs 3,146 million from sale of commercial plots.
Meanwhile, senators from Balochistan and Awami National Party staged a token walkout from the House when it was told that no member from Balochistan was included in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Protesting over the issue, Senator Ismail Buledi said no Balochistan member was posted in the FBR during the last 50 years.
ANP Senator Zahid Khan supported the Balochistan senators, saying it was extremely unjustified that the federal government did not consider anyone from the province able to serve the FBR. The House was also informed that an inquiry had been initiated against FBR officials of BPS-20, 19 and 18, Khalid Naseem, Shahid Majeed Khan and Raza Ahmed, and the findings were being awaited.
To a question raised by Haji Muhammad Adeel, State Finance Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told the House that no meeting of the National Finance Commission was held due to incomplete composition. The House was told that 2,605 non-duty paid vehicles were impounded between 2009 and March 2011. To another question, she said around 690 million shares of Habib Bank Limited were floated in the stock market for sale during the period 2007-09.
Hina told the House that foreign assistance to Pakistan was being provided to the poor people of the country through the Benazir Income Support Programme and Pakistan Poverty Alleviated Fund.
