March 8, 2003	Saturday	Muharram 4, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, March 7: The National Assembly was informed in a written reply here on Friday that Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau, General Tanveer Naqvi was enjoying the benefits of a federal minister and has drawn a salary of Rs1.2 million since Nov 18, 1999 (Rs34,028 per month).

Replying to a question by Farid Ahmad Paracha of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, the minister in charge of the prime minister’s secretariat, Raza Hiraj, said that Gen Naqvi was entitled to benefits as given in the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act 1975.

Referring to his qualifications and skills, the assembly was informed that he had done his BSc from Punjab University; BSc (Hon) War Studies from University of Balochistan; MSc in War Studies and Defence and Strategic Studies from the Quaid-i-Azam University. He was a graduate of the Command and Staff College, Quetta and National Defence College Islamabad (Army War Course).

About the NRB’s achievements in relation to the Constitution, the assembly was told that the bureau prepared the conduct of general elections order 2002 which was promulgated through the ministry of law to provide for an increase in the number of seats in the national and provincial assemblies.

The age of voters was also reduced from 21 to 18 years.

Similarly the political parties order 2002 was also issued through the law ministry to provide for intra-party elections, Packages-I and II containing amendments in the constitution were made public to ascertain the people’s viewpoint on these amendments and the Constitution was amended through the LFO 2002.

In addition to this, Small Causes Courts Ordinance was promulgated through the law ministry to provide justice at the doorstep in minor cases, the courts of sessions were empowered by amending the code of criminal procedure to deal with cases relating to Habeas Corpus along with high courts.

Amendments were also suggested and promulgated in different legislations including the conduct of general elections order 2002, the representation of the People’s Ordinance 2002, the Senate (elections) Act 1975, the election of members of senate from Fata order 2002 and election commission order 2002.

Other targets achieved included devolution of power to the local level, conduct of elections, revival of constitutional democracy, developing a local government system, model government ordinance, model-laws, rules, manuals, reports and guidelines on administrative decentralization, national reconstruction information management system, interim local government finance system, citizen community boards, provincialization of accounts, release of entire amount of 2.5 per cent GST for local governments, new local government finance system, budget rules, local governments in cantonment, Fata and ICT, capacity building of local government elected representatives, law-enforcement structure and system, reconstruction of civil services, reconstruction of federal and provincial government structures, and proposals on economic structures and systems.