Reduction in defence expenditures proposed

The opposition in the Senate on Tuesday proposed the government to reduce defence expenditures and halt construction of a new GHQ Complex being built at the foothills of Margalla to divert funds for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of earthquake-hit areas of AJK and NWFP.
It also called for withdrawal of the half of Rs 30 billion raise in this fiscal budget and suggested Rs 15 billion be contributed in the relief fund.
Speaking on the post-quake situation, opposition Senator Farhatullah Babar said that curtailing defence budget and reviewing the proposed GHQ project in Islamabad would help the government in coping with the construction task.
He said that the government had acquired about 1,400 acres of land in the federal capital from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the GHQ project at the rate of Rs 120 per yard.
The market value of per yard land is Rs 10,0000 and the government might fetch Rs 250 billion through sale of land at half of the market value.
Senator Babar asked President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, governors and chief ministers of all the four provinces to stop using their discretionary funds at their disposal and donate it for the development and reconstruction of the earthquake-hit areas of NWFP and AJK.
It would be symbolic gesture from the government side, he said, adding that the parliamentarians belonging to both the houses should also contribute generously in this hour of need.
The opposition lawmaker said that the Defence Ministry had fetched billions of rupees through selling 18 acres of land in Karachi.
He called the government to allocate these funds for the affected areas' reconstruction with a permission of the Sindh government.
He demanded of the government to recover waived off loans and spend it for the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
He also strongly criticised the government for releasing Rs 9 billion grant to the so-called private institution like Fauji Foundation. They called for taking back such decision and allocate the amount for the welfare of the affected people.
Replying to the opposition's suggestions and remarks, federal Education Minister, Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf Qazi (Retd) rejected the claim of providing Rs 9 billion grant to the Fauji Foundation.
He said that Fauji Foundation was being run by the Army Welfare Trust (AWT).
Regarding the project of GHQ Complex, the minister clarified that the funds, which had been allocated for the purpose, were gathered through auctioning of Pakistan Army's own land located in various cantonments.