Parliamentarians for slash of President’s allowances

ISLAMABAD: The members of the Lower House of the Parliament Thursday demanded further slashing of allowances of the President, under the head of Charged expenditure. The House discussed the charged expenditure included in demands for grants and appropriations for the year ending on June 30, 2009.
The government has demanded an amount of Rs. 353,847,000/- for staff, household and allowances of the President.
Opening the discussion, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor said that the members can only discuss the charged expenditure “while it can not be amended on our proposals.”
He said when the Parliament and Prime Minister secretariats have reduced their budgets then there is no justification for such a huge amount for President who has just a ceremonial role in democratic government.
Khurram Dastagir also expressed his displeasure that members of the Parliament can only discuss these expenditures but cannot amend it.
He said an amount of Rs. 230 million has been demanded under the head of other expenditure of Foreign Affairs Division which, he alleged would be spent on foreign tours of the President.
Sher Baloch said the National Assembly has to approve the charged expenditures despite the fact that our conscience does not allow it.
He said while approving such huge funding, we should not forget the people who are suffering badly from poverty.
Hamid Saeed Kazmi said the presentation of charged expenditures before National Assembly is futile exercise as the lawmakers have no power to amend it.
The Speaker National Assembly made it clear that the passage of these expenditures is constitutional obligation, which can only be amended by the Assembly with the two-third majority of the House.
Shamshad Bachani called for slashing the expenditures of President and added that the government should also ensure transparent expenditures of elections because poor arrangements on the polling booths shows the opposite picture.
Ahsan Iqbal said the allocation of Rs350 million for President is unjustifiable and added that in years 1998 and 1999, former President Rafiq Tarar had reduced the budget of Presidency from Rs320 million to Rs160 million.