June 2, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 1: The ministry of defence on Thursday informed the Senate Standing Committee on Defence that defence budget passed through a process of monitoring.

The standing committee meeting chaired by Senator Nisar A Memon at Parliament House, was also attended by the Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal and members including Syed Dilawar Abbas, Naeem Hussain Chattha, Prof Khurshid Ahmed, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan and Mrs Rukhsana Zuberi.

In a comprehensive presentation a senior official of defence ministry said the entire budgeting process was subjected to monitoring.

The presentation was given on the demand of the committee which in its earlier meeting last month had decided that it should be provided a briefing on all aspects of the budget and satisfied as to why the defence budget could not be tabled in the parliament for debate and approval.

The meeting was informed that in the government set-up, the defence budget was subjected to threadbare scrutiny at the time of its formulation and approval.

Then a system of monitoring takes its course during its implementation to ensure transparency and auditing/accountability after its closing.

Members of the committee put several questions which were responded in detail by the secretary defence.

He briefed the committee about percentages of budget allocated to each service and its utilisation for pays and allowances, maintenance, capital works and purchases both indigenous and imported.

He also shared information with the members about amount allocated for pension of the defence forces, and said that Defence Housing Authority was not allocated any funds from the defence budget.

Appreciating the presentation, chairman Memon said the committee was satisfied with the access to the information on defence budget. He said this practice of sharing information with the committee would be a continued process.