ISLAMABAD: Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence called on Tuesday for complete parliamentary oversight of defence expenditures and sought details of the revenue generated through commercial activities being carried out by various wings of the defence organisations.

The issue of the involvement of defence organisations in commercial activities came under discussion during an in-camera meeting of the committee which was convened for a detailed briefing on “the defence budget 2014-15”, informed sources told Dawn.

The briefing was given by newly-appointed Defence Secretary retired Lt-Gen Alam Khattak.

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The sources said that the members had asked the secretary to take as much time as he needed to collect information and data about the industrial, commercial and business enterprises being run under the supervision of the defence ministry and inform the committee in details of the revenue generated and income obtained through such activities. The members were of the view that so far the parliament had never been provided such information.

PPP’s Farhatullah Babar, the sources said, pledged to requisition a special meeting of the committee on the subject, if the ministry tried to use delaying tactics or did not come up with the complete information.

The members, according to the sources, had suggested that from next year, military officers and the committee members would meet and share their perceptions of threats to the country’s security and in its light mutually agree to the budget needed for the defence of the country.

Haji Adeel of the Awami National Party (ANP) raised the issue of the functioning of cantonment boards in the country and drew the attention of the committee towards the condition of civilian population living in cantonment areas.

According to the official handout, the chairman of the committee, Mr Mushahid Hussain, during the meeting said that parliamentary oversight of the defence spending was a must to ensure good governance and transparency. He underlined the need for more transparency in the budget being spent on the country’s defence.

Mr Hussain said that the committee introduced innovative approaches and new traditions to revisit the defence paradigm through dialogues, discussions and public hearings involving all stakeholders. He said there were multiple power centres in the country now and dimensions of the national security had broadened.

The members termed it a good beginning as figures of the defence budget were being shared with the committee. The members expressed satisfaction over the “frank and honest briefing” by the ministry officials.

The committee paid tribute to sacrifices of armed forces in the ongoing Operation Zarb-i-Azb and said “our resolve is undeterred to root out the menace of terrorism”.

PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain stressed the need for initiatives for promotion of welfare of soldiers, who were the backbone of the army.

The meeting was also attended by Sehar Kamran, Raja Zafarul Haq, Rafique Rajwana, Dr Abudl Qayoom Soomro, Abdul Rauf and Tahir Mashhadi.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014