A revelation by Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh that a subsidy of Rs 50. 108 billion had been given to Pakistan Railways during last five years and the largest chunk of Rs 18.432 billion was provided in 2009-10, prompted Senators from PML-Q to question governance of the current regime.
In a written reply, the finance minister gave a yearly break-up ie, subsidy of Rs 8.551 billion was provided in 2005-06, Rs 6.86 billion in 2006-07, Rs 7.303 billion in 2007-08, Rs 9.03 billion in 2008-09 and Rs 18.432 in 2009-10. Leader of the opposition in the Senate, Waseem Sajjad of PML-Q said that yearly increase in subsidy that doubled during the current regime is simply due to mismanagement.
Salim Saifullah Khan of PML-Q regretted the loss to the exchequer saying that the money spent to keep state enterprises in tact is much more than what we spend on education. "For how long we would continue the wastage of economic resources?" he questioned. Meanwhile, showing reluctance to kick-start a debate on President Asif Ali Zardari's address to joint sitting of the Parliament, the Senate once again deferred the debate for the next day. It has been third consecutive time when the Senate Chairman had asked the legislators to discuss the issue but in vain.
On earlier counts, the proceedings of the House were marred by absence of ministers from the house. Later on, there was no one either to deliver or listen to a speech. On Wednesday, once again, the front row of the treasury benches, reserved for federal ministers was empty.
Since, the motion moved by leader of the opposition Nayyar Hussain Bokhari for debate was included in the agenda, the chairman once again requested Waseem Sajjad to start debate. Pointing out absence of ministers, he asked the chairman, 'to whom should I address?'
And finally, it was decided that the House will start debate today (Thursday), immediately after the completion of question hour and would not include any other business in the agenda.
Earlier, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar told Senate that the implementation report of the National Finance Commission (NFC) had been finalised and would be presented in the next sitting of the Parliament after she clarified that Punjab and Sindh were responsible for the delay in convening the meeting of the commission.
"I assure the House that it (implementation report) will be presented during the next session of the Parliament," she stated. Responding on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, Ms Hina Rabbani Khar stated Punjab and Sindh had not nominated their 'non-statutory', which delayed the commission meeting.
Senator Zahid Khan of ANP had pointed out inordinate delay in convening the meeting of the commission which he said did not take place during the last six months. During the question hour a token walkout was staged by Senator Dr Ismail Buledi, Senator Zahid Khan and Senator Ilyas Bilour as they found it discriminatory that people from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa do not get chance to be elevated as FBR members. The minister for foreign affairs did try to explain that the appointments in the FBR had nothing to do with provincial quotas, but she could not convince the lawmakers.