Finance Ministry’s advice to PM: No security allowance for civil and armed forces

[Xeric]

Finance Ministry?s advice to PM: No security allowance for civil and armed forces – The Express Tribune

Finance Ministry’s advice to PM: No security allowance for civil and armed forces

Demoralisation might prove more expensive in war on terror. PHOTO: EPA


ISLAMABAD: The finance ministry covertly warned Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to halt the payment of Rs3.6 billion internal security duty (ISD) allowance to personnel of the Pakistan Army and Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops stationed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and Balochistan for the remaining period of the fiscal year 2010-11.

The finance ministry officials contended that since an allowance equal to one month’s basic pay had already been sanctioned for the security forces, “the finance division does not support the continuation of Internal Security Allowance during 2010-2011”.

The finance ministry was not ready to make ISD payments in the first quarter of 2010-2011, believing that the national exchequer was low on funds, prove official documents available with The Express Tribune.

This development alarmed top officials in the ministry of defence and FC headquarters in Balochistan, who in a high level meeting with their counterparts in the interior and finance ministries secured the approval for ISD in 2010-2011.

The approval was granted, but only for the first quarter of 2010-2011 for which the finance ministry agreed to pay a total of Rs3.6 billion to the Pakistan Army and FC. finance ministry officials, on being warned that the discontinuation of ISD would not help the war against terror while troops were engaged in fighting various insurgencies in the country, were forced to yield. Once again finance ministry officials have reined back payments for the next quarter as the financial situation is quite ‘tight’.

Earlier, Secretary Defence Lt-Gen Syed Athar Ali had officially requested the interior secretary for similar allowances for FC troops fighting in volatile areas of the country, warning the government that discrimination in the payment of allowances to the FC in comparison to the army has resulted in ‘despondency and demoralization’. The government had subsequently approved the payment of Rs1.5 billion for FC troops in addition to Rs2.5billion for the army on account of ISD. The issue of granting the FC allowances identical to the Pakistan Army was raised by the ministry of interior in its official summary at the latest cabinet meeting.

The ministry of defence had informed the ministry of interior that the Army had restored peace in large areas of K-P and Fata by suppressing the militants and civil armed forces were also engaged in conducting operations, sacrificing their lives for the country, therefore they should be granted identical allowances during operations Rah-e-Rast and Rah-e-Najat, sources said.

FC headquarters had persuaded the ministry of defence to accede to their request stating that since after taking over the charge of the operational areas, FC personnel are fighting along the army, they also qualify for the allowance.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2010.

 

[somebozo]

Pakistan should make compulsory two year military service for the KP and Baluchistan residents since those are the provinces proving major strain on PA manpower and financial resources. By enforcing compulsory army service for the above two mentioned regions we will get plenty of free manpower to manage peace for several decades in those regions itself.

 

[v9s]

Pakistan should make compulsory two year military service for the KP and Baluchistan residents since those are the provinces proving major strain on PA manpower and financial resources. By enforcing compulsory army service for the above two mentioned regions we will get plenty of free manpower to manage peace for several decades in those regions itself.

Free manpower?

People don't work for free. Hell even the taliban pay some amount to new recruits an their families.

We don't have compulsory army service because the amount of new applicants we get surpass the amount that are needed.

Perhaps the army should cut down in other unnecessary expenditures and the savings on that should be allocated to the welfare of our troops.

 

[Xeric]

Perhaps the army should cut down in other unnecessary expenditures and the savings on that should be allocated to the welfare of our troops.

Boy you have NO idea how much the Army (or for that matter all the Services) spend on the welfare of troops.

BTW, have you understood the news? Perhaps you are mixing the defence budget and Internal Security Allowance.

 

[Avatar]

Now is a bad time to reduce security allowance. I think it's a good idea rather to reduce military expenses on the eastern side sees a lot less activty than the western side.

 

[v9s]

Boy you have NO idea how much the Army (or for that matter all the Services) spend on the welfare of troops.

BTW, have you understood the news? Perhaps you are mixing the defence budget and Internal Security Allowance.

Forgive me for my ignorance.

What is the Internal Security Allowance? What budget does it come under?

 

[sergente rehan]

We have severe economic problems and this is the main reason for cutting the allowance. Why the PM doesn't cut his personal and all other ministries budgets and allocate these funds to the real heroes of the country who are laying their lives for the sake of the nation?!

Seems like these economic crises aren't causing any problem to PM and President personal expenditures along with their other ministers. damn people are dying from natural disasters, from hunger, worse law and order situations and these ******e didn't even care about all this.

 

[Xeric]

Now is a bad time to reduce security allowance. I think it's a good idea rather to reduce military expenses on the eastern side sees a lot less activty than the western side.

On a direct front it may not work, but i may work in an indirect form.

Reason: The IS allowance is paid by the civilian govt and is not part of the defence budget. So if the you talk about lowering the expenditure on the eastern side (which infact is nominal as compared to the western front - common sense, as we are at war on the west and we dont have any active battlefield on the east, just the usual expenses), it will only help if we place a cut on the OVERALL defence budget.

And for a bonus: Reducing military presence on the eastern front will infact INCREASE the burden on the govt because, if we move men from the eastern front to the west, well it would mean more troops, more equipment in FATAville, thus more IS allowance, and more expenditure on fuel, ordnance etc.

So "reduce military expenses on the eastern side" is a nada!

 

[silent hill]

nive helmet man!!!

 

[silent hill]

Now is a bad time to reduce security allowance. I think it's a good idea rather to reduce military expenses on the eastern side sees a lot less activty than the western side.

and whts guarentee tht you dont stab in our back???

 

[Xeric]

Forgive me for my ignorance.

What is the Internal Security Allowance? What budget does it come under?

Under the Constitution of Pakistan the civilian govt can requisition the Armed/Civil Armed Force in AID of CIVIL POWER - like during Moharram and the kinda work that is being done in Swat and FATA. So when the govt does requisition the military it has to pay for the expenses incurred during the duty. One of such expense is the IS allowance, and it doesnt form part of the defence budget, it's comes from the Province which asks for the assistance.

 

[SMC]

and whts guarentee tht you dont stab in our back???

They won't let the opportunity go. Can't trust them.

 

[Ignited Mind]

They won't let the opportunity go. Can't trust them.

Yes we won't. Trust me. We'll hit you when you're at your weakest where you're at your weakest.

So keep spending.

 

[Xeric]

Ahem, ahem...

The topic is regarding the ISD and NOT the defence expenditures (on the eastern border).

 

[faisaljaffery]

Government should advise FBR to improve the tax base and tax collections to cope with the rising defence expenditure on war on terror. We are so called allies of USA in war on terror but in fact we gets peanuts in shape of Collation support fund compared to our expenditure which is in billions.