22 October 2004	Friday	07 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq on Thursday did not tell the National Assembly about the actual expenditure incurred on the Ulema Convention held on February 18 in the capital.

Though the question was asked repeatedly during different sessions, the minister stuck to his earlier position of not revealing the figures spent from the tax payer's money despite government's policy commitment to transparency in governance.

"Since the expenditures relate to the previous financial year, the details are being collected," said the minister for the fourth consecutive time in a written reply. The minister vaguely replied that "expenses were kept at a minimum possible level".

However, no information was given to public representatives about the actual amount spent from public kitty on boarding, lodging and other expenses for hosting the Ulema in expensive hotels and motels of the capital.

The government has already placed the list of Ulema before the House who attended the convention.

However, part of the question asked by MNA Naheed Khan relating to total expenditure incurred on holding the Ulema Convention has repeatedly met the same fate.

Representing lack of strict financial control and accountability procedures for spending the tax payer's money, the minister could not account for the total expenditures despite the fact that almost eight months had passed since the holding of the convention in February this year.