ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved nine demands for grants worth Rs145.32 billion to meet expenditures of the Foreign Affairs Division, Interior Division, Law and Justice Division and National Food Security and Research Division and their departments during the financial year ending June 30, 2025, by rejecting a total of 223 cut motions of opposition.
The National Assembly approved and completed the demands for grants to meet expenditures of all federal ministries, their divisions and departments.
The House, on Thursday, took up the remaining demands for grants of the Foreign Affairs Division, Interior Division, Law and Justice Division and National Food Security and Research Division. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb opposed all cut-motions (223) of opposition members on the demand for grants.
117 demands of grants approved by lower house
The finance minister tabled two demands for grants of the Foreign Affairs Division at the cost of 51.863 billion in the house for approval. The opposition members moved as many as 44 cut-motions on the demands of Foreign Affairs but the house rejected them.
The opposition members said while speaking on the cut-motions on the demands for grants of the Foreign Affairs Division that the government has no clear foreign policy, particularly, with the neighbouring countries.
Opposition member Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar said that the government has failed to give an independent foreign policy. He said that the government has no clear foreign policy about China and the United States (US) while our relations with Afghanistan are very concerning. We should make better relations with neighbouring countries including India.
Ali Muhammad Khan said that the government did not give any policy and statement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the issue of Kashmir.
The foreign minister rejected the impression that Pakistan faces isolation at the international level. He said the forum will be effectively used to raise the Kashmir dispute and the situation in Gaza.
The foreign minister said relations with Afghanistan are on the priority agenda of the government. He said the government is in contact with Afghanistan and dates are also being worked out for his visit to Kabul.
The Minister for Finance and Revenue tabled five demands for grants worth Rs56.64 billion of Interior Division. The house approved the demands for grants of the Interior Division by rejecting 107 cut-motions of the opposition members. The house approved Rs20.4 billion demands for grants of Islamabad Capital Territory, Rs1.015 billion of National Counter Terrorism Authority, Rs9.07 billion development expenditure if Interior Division and Rs10.78 billion of other expenditure of Interior Division.
The opposition members criticised Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi due to his absence from the House. They said that the interior minister must be present in the house while the demand of grants and cut-motion about his ministry are being discussed.
The minister presented three demands for grants worth Rs15.62 billion of Law and Justice Division including Rs8.273 billion of the Law and Justice Division, Rs237.4 million of the Council of Islamic Ideology and Rs7.11 billion of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The House approved these demands with a majority of voice voting by rejecting 26 cut-motions of the opposition on them.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb tabled two demands for grants at a cost of Rs21.2 billion of National Food Security and Research Division. The house approved the demands for grants with a majority by rejecting 46 cut motions on them of opposition members. The house approved the demand for grant of Rs6.4 billion of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council.
The opposition members criticised the performance of the National Food Security and Research Division and said that the government should conduct a transparent inquiry of the import of wheat scandal and punish the real culprits.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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