Friday, January 26, 2007
ââ¬ËSome airbases on standby for USââ¬â¢
* Defence secretary says bases authorised under war on terror policy
* PAC questions legality of private builders using armed forcesââ¬â¢ names
By Zulfiqar Ghuman
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has not given naval berth in Karachi to the United States and only some airbases have been put on standby for coalition forces because Pakistan is a partner in the war against terrorism, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (r) Tariq Waseem Ghazi told the National Assemblyââ¬â¢s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday.
ââ¬ÅWe provided some airbases to the US and coalition forces during the war in Afghanistan. These bases were given by the government under its policy on war on terrorism,ââ¬Â said Ghazi.
Earlier, the PAC expressed concern over private builders using the names attributed to Pakistani armed forces and directed Ghazi to provide details of these private builders to the committee. The committee met here with Malik Allah Yar Khan in the chair to discuss audit reports of the Defence Ministry for year 2000-01.
The committee was of the opinion that scams by private builders would put doubts in peopleââ¬â¢s mind about the armed forces because of the similarity in names. ââ¬ÅThe committee wants to know whether builders of housing schemes like Bahria and Askria towns have been permitted by the Defence Ministry to use the names of armed forces. If so, then under what legal authority,ââ¬Â Rai Mansab Ali Khan told the defence secretary.
The committee members said they had raised the issue of Bahria Town in the National Assembly (NA). Maj (r) Tanvir Hussain Syed, parliamentary secretary for defence in the NA, told the committee that the ministry had opposed the name of Bahria Town, but could do nothing against the ââ¬Åinfluentialââ¬Â owner of the housing scheme.
Qurban Ali Shah said that several parliamentarians had been offered plots in the ââ¬ËMNAs enclaveââ¬â¢ of Bahria Town on subsidised rates. ââ¬ÅAccording to a Bahria Town letter, special housing schemes have been developed for retired generals and judges on subsidised rates,ââ¬Â he said.
Ghazi said the issue had not been raised during his term and he would give a detailed reply in the next PAC meeting. ââ¬ÅI have no information about the issue because it was not on the agenda, but I will take up the issue with the ministry and respond to the membersââ¬â¢ queries in the next meeting,ââ¬Â he said.
Syed raised the Bahria Town issue during a discussion on an audit objection about the commercial use of some residential properties in Wah Cantt. ââ¬ÅInstead of running around these minor cases, we should catch the ââ¬Ëbig fishââ¬â¢ who obtained the CDA land allotted in the Maragalla and Karakoram foothills first on lease and then on ownership basis,ââ¬Â he said.
The committee directed the defence secretary to conduct an enquiry into the Rs 3.232 million loss caused by fire in the Survey of Pakistan office in Murree.
The secretary said that the Defence Ministry was considering delegating powers of the ââ¬Åchief of army staffââ¬Â for the purchase of stores worth over Rs 4 million in consultation with the Finance Ministry, adding it would help streamline the matters and remove anomalies. He said the purchase was made through tenders, but they are not published in newspapers.
Auditor General of Pakistan Younis Khan told the committee that pension of retired armed forces personnel had been shifted to the civil budget after foreign donors started objecting to surging defence budget.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\26\story_26-1-2007_pg7_1
ââ¬ËSome airbases on standby for USââ¬â¢
* Defence secretary says bases authorised under war on terror policy
* PAC questions legality of private builders using armed forcesââ¬â¢ names
By Zulfiqar Ghuman
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has not given naval berth in Karachi to the United States and only some airbases have been put on standby for coalition forces because Pakistan is a partner in the war against terrorism, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (r) Tariq Waseem Ghazi told the National Assemblyââ¬â¢s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday.
ââ¬ÅWe provided some airbases to the US and coalition forces during the war in Afghanistan. These bases were given by the government under its policy on war on terrorism,ââ¬Â said Ghazi.
Earlier, the PAC expressed concern over private builders using the names attributed to Pakistani armed forces and directed Ghazi to provide details of these private builders to the committee. The committee met here with Malik Allah Yar Khan in the chair to discuss audit reports of the Defence Ministry for year 2000-01.
The committee was of the opinion that scams by private builders would put doubts in peopleââ¬â¢s mind about the armed forces because of the similarity in names. ââ¬ÅThe committee wants to know whether builders of housing schemes like Bahria and Askria towns have been permitted by the Defence Ministry to use the names of armed forces. If so, then under what legal authority,ââ¬Â Rai Mansab Ali Khan told the defence secretary.
The committee members said they had raised the issue of Bahria Town in the National Assembly (NA). Maj (r) Tanvir Hussain Syed, parliamentary secretary for defence in the NA, told the committee that the ministry had opposed the name of Bahria Town, but could do nothing against the ââ¬Åinfluentialââ¬Â owner of the housing scheme.
Qurban Ali Shah said that several parliamentarians had been offered plots in the ââ¬ËMNAs enclaveââ¬â¢ of Bahria Town on subsidised rates. ââ¬ÅAccording to a Bahria Town letter, special housing schemes have been developed for retired generals and judges on subsidised rates,ââ¬Â he said.
Ghazi said the issue had not been raised during his term and he would give a detailed reply in the next PAC meeting. ââ¬ÅI have no information about the issue because it was not on the agenda, but I will take up the issue with the ministry and respond to the membersââ¬â¢ queries in the next meeting,ââ¬Â he said.
Syed raised the Bahria Town issue during a discussion on an audit objection about the commercial use of some residential properties in Wah Cantt. ââ¬ÅInstead of running around these minor cases, we should catch the ââ¬Ëbig fishââ¬â¢ who obtained the CDA land allotted in the Maragalla and Karakoram foothills first on lease and then on ownership basis,ââ¬Â he said.
The committee directed the defence secretary to conduct an enquiry into the Rs 3.232 million loss caused by fire in the Survey of Pakistan office in Murree.
The secretary said that the Defence Ministry was considering delegating powers of the ââ¬Åchief of army staffââ¬Â for the purchase of stores worth over Rs 4 million in consultation with the Finance Ministry, adding it would help streamline the matters and remove anomalies. He said the purchase was made through tenders, but they are not published in newspapers.
Auditor General of Pakistan Younis Khan told the committee that pension of retired armed forces personnel had been shifted to the civil budget after foreign donors started objecting to surging defence budget.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\26\story_26-1-2007_pg7_1
