Rs320bn incurred on maintaining law & order in last four years

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has spent around Rs320 billion for maintaining law and order situation and controlling incidents of terrorism during last four years.

Expenditure incurred in Punjab was Rs160 billion, in Sindh Rs92 billion, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs50 billion, in Gigit-Baltistan Rs4 billion and in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Rs13 billion.

According to the data available with APP, Punjab spent Rs47 billion in financial year 2009-10 which was more than the other fiscal years including Rs31 billion in 2007-08, Rs37 billion in 2008-09 and Rs45 billion in 2010-11.

Similarly, Sindh spent Rs16 billion in 2007-08, Rs22 billion in 2008-09, Rs23 billion in 2009-10 and Rs30 billion in 2010-11 on maintaining law and order and combating terrorism.

Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, the most terrorism-affected province in the country, spent huge amount to maintain law and order situation, including Rs6.5 billion in 2007-08, Rs8.5 billion in 2008-09, Rs18 billion in 2009-10 and Rs17 during 2010-11.

The government has spent huge amount in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) which also faced some terrorist incidents during the period. The amount spent included Rs2 billion in 2007-08, Rs2.2 billion in 2008-09, Rs3.8 billion in 2009-10 and Rs4.2 billion during 2010-11.

When contacted, a senior official told APP on Sunday that controlling law and order situation in the country including Karachi was priority of the government and it would leave no stone unturned to ensure peace.

About the measures, he said activists belonging to different banned organizations, who have been placed on 4th Schedule of ATA, 1997, were being closely monitored.

The official said that advance information in the shape of Special Information Reports was regularly issued indicating trends and future plans of the banned organizations.

To a question regarding steps taken to control the law and order situation in Karachi and other parts of the province, he said Rs5 billion package had been approved by President Asif Ali Zardari to facilitate an increase in the strength of the police force and provide them with the latest equipment.

The official said the enough deployment of police force had been ensured at more sensitive places to eliminate criminal activity.

During the holy month of Ramadan, particularly for Eid-ul-Fitr, shopping would surge and the police have been directed to take extra security measures in this regard.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011