ISLAMABAD, June 17: The National Assembly on Saturday approved 133 demands for grants of over Rs401.35 billion for the federal government to meet other than charged expenditure of various ministries, divisions and departments during the fiscal year 2006-07.

The house rejected 726 cut motions of opposition members on demands for grants of over Rs60.9 billion for expenditure under various heads of the cabinet and commerce divisions and approved the demands for grants through voice vote, as the government had opposed the cut motions.

The house adopted one by one the demands for grants through voice vote as moved by State Minister for Finance Omar Ayub Khan.

The house approved 17 demands for grants of over Rs57 billion for expenditure of the cabinet division under various heads during the fiscal year 2006-07, rejecting all 509 cut motions moved by the opposition members.

The assembly also approved three demands for grants of over Rs3.88 billion for expenditure of the commerce division under various heads, rejecting 217 cut motions.

The demands for grants were approved by the house for ministries and divisions including the communication division, culture and sports, economic affairs, statistics, health, education, environment, finance, food and agriculture, housing and works, industries and production, information and broadcasting, information technology, cabinet division, commerce division etc.

Members from the opposition benches including Liaquat Baloch, Beelum Husnain, Dr Farid Paracha, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Naheed Khan, Dr Farida Ahmed Siddiqui, Fouzia Wahab, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Shabir Ahmed Khan, Nafeesa Raja, Samia Raheel Qazi, Zulfiqar Gondal, Laeeq Khan, Khalida Mohsin Qureshi, Razia Aziz, Shamshad Bachani, Ahmed Ghafoor, Manzoor Wasan, Aysha Munawar, Robina Saadat Qaimkhani, Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Shagufta Jumani, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Mehreen Akhtar Raja, Yasmeen Rehman, Fahmida Mirza, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Anwar Ali Bhutto, Hanif Abbasi, Zulfiqar Ali Gondal, Mohammad Usman, Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Fauzia Habib, Syed Qurban Ali Shah and Bilqis Saif participated in the debate on the cut motions.

They were critical of the expenditures under various heads of the cabinet and commerce divisions and called for reduction. They also criticized the rising trade deficit and the performance of the export promotion bureau.

Later, the minister of state for finance moved seven demands for grants of over Rs253.12 billion for the expenditure of defence division.

Opposition members including Sherry Rehman, Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Jameela Akhtar, Dr Farid Paracha and others moved the cut motions, which were opposed by the government.

The opposition had submitted 181 cut motions on the demands for grants for the expenditure of defence division, which would be debated on Monday.

BANK LOANS: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Hussain referred to privileges committee the matter of non-issuance of car loans and credit cards by banks to politicians, journalists and lawyers.

He also directed that report of the committee should be presented before the House by June 30.

Speaking on a privilege motion of opposition’s Abid Sher Ali, Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan said that there were no State Bank rules under which banks and financial institutions could refuse credit cards and car loans to politicians, journalists and lawyers.

“They can check individual’s credit history but cannot bar these people en bloc from availing these facilities,” he added.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs did not oppose Sher Ali’s motion who had pointed out that banks do not give credit cards and car loans to parliamentarians and politicians.—APP