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Leghari and Tarar get Rs 48,450 pension each

* Govt banks, financial institutions have written off loans of more than Rs 33bn in last 4 years

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that two former presidents - Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari and Muhammad Rafiq Tarar - were getting pensions, allowances, fringe benefits and other lucrative facilities.

The question hour proceedings were marred by the absence of ministers and the chairman had to defer the questions for the next session. The joint opposition criticised the government for not ensuring the presence of its ministers in the house.

In a written reply to a question, the Finance Ministry told the Senate that the two former presidents were getting Rs 48,450 each per month as pension. They had also been exempted from the provisions of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance 1965 or any other law related to the possession of arms or ammunition, said the statement. It said the two former presidents had been given diplomatic passports useable for them, their wives and children. It said that they could use government guesthouses, rest houses and circuit houses throughout the country free of charge. Besides, telephones had been installed at their residences at the government’s expense and they don’t have to pay for calls costing less than Rs 72,000 a year.

The statement said that Leghari and Tarar were allowed services of one BPS-17 or 18 private secretary, a security guard, driver and a cook and that they and their families could avail themselves free medical treatment in Pakistan or abroad for a lifetime. Their official residences were maintained by the government and they were given Rs 32,000 per month as car allowance, it said.

Widows of two former presidents - Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Maj Gen Iskander Mirza – were also receiving pensions and other benefits, but their payments were less than that of Leghari and Tarar.

The Senate was also told that the government banks and financial institutions had written off loans of more than Rs 33 billion in the last four years.

State Minister for Finance Omar Ayub Khan said that Rs 5.66 billion was written off in 2003, Rs 10.42 billion in 2004, Rs 9.908 billion in 2005 and Rs 7.15 billion in 2006. According to the information, the industrial sector was the major beneficiary by getting Rs 25.82 billion written off. The banks had written off Rs 3.21 billion and Rs2.83 billion loans obtained by the trading and agricultural sector.

According to the breakdown, 11,220 borrowers were favoured in 2003, 17,869 in 2004, 45,249 in 2005 and 19,338 in 2006. Eleven borrowers from the industrial sector obtained Rs 4.37 billion loans in 2003 while Rs 8.800 billion was outstanding against 32 borrowers in 2004. Twenty-three borrowers in 2005 and 34 in 2006 got waivers on loans of Rs 9.96 billion and Rs 7.15 billion respectively.

The number of borrowers from the trading sector who got their loans written off was 5,315 in 2003, 7,036 in 2004, 5,698 in 2005 and 3,910 in 2006. The number of borrowers from the agriculture sector whose loans were written off was 5,900 in 2003, 10,801 in 2004, 39,528 in 2005 and 15,394 in 2006.

To another question, the minister said that total number of sick industrial units in the four provinces was 2035 - 796 in Punjab, 737 in the NWFP, 363 in Sindh and 139 in Balochistan. The house was informed that the committee for the revival of sick industrial units had so far considered 388 cases and approved 196 units for revival through settlement and rescheduling of the liabilities. The remaining 192 units were not approved for various reasons including their technical and financial deficiencies. In some cases the court had approved the sale of the project assets through auction, the minister’s written reply added.

The Senate was also told that the government had provided Rs 24.070 billion as subsidy and grant to various public sector entities and industry in year 2006-07. Pakistan Railways was given Rs 6.429 billion as grant to pick up cash shortfall in operational expenditure. Pakistan Agricultural Supply and Services Corporation (PASSCO) was given a subsidy of Rs 123.976 million to meet operational losses in disposal of wheat.

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) got a subsidy of Rs 262.287 million to pick up price differential between cost and sale price of sugar, flour, pulses and other food items. Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim was given Rs 977.521 million as compensation installment on account of losses incurred by the company. naveed siddiqui

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