June 12, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 11: Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over the budgetary allocation for internal security.

Talking to newsmen after the ground-breaking ceremony of the second phase of the I.J. Principal Road, he said Rs2.508 billion had been earmarked for his ministry against its requirement of over Rs20 billion.

Mr Hayyat said the government could not enhance the budget for law and order with its limited resources.

However, he said, financial assistance from different countries was in the pipeline to meet different targets concerning internal security.

The aid, he said, was given by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Austria and some Middle East countries in cash, equipment and technical assistance.

Talking about the opposition’s protest in the National Assembly and the Senate, he said that despite the undemocratic attitude of the opposition, the government had not victimized any of its leaders.

He said people had not given a mandate to the opposition leaders to sabotage the proceedings of the houses.

“The opposition has a right to criticize the policies of the government but the way of criticism should not be unethical and uncivilized,” he said. He said opposition should not act to derail the democratic process.

He said: “I am glad that the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy has become a parliamentary group but it should not behave like an alliance of rejection of democracy.”

He termed the budget historic and said the common man had been given incentives.

He said two commissions had been formed to probe into the killings of 13 policemen in Quetta.

“Apparently that was sectarianism, but we want to confirm it,” the minister said.

Mr Hayyat said a high court judge and the provincial home secretary were heading the committees.

He expressed grief over the killing of the deputy inspector-general of police, Sibi, and said the official had died in a crossfire between police and dacoits.