The government has not allocated funds for National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) in next fiscal year's budget, Finance Ministry acknowledged. Some members of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance drew the attention of the meeting chaired by Saleem Mandviwalla that the government has not earmarked any allocation for NACTA, which was to play a lead role in war against terrorism. Secretary Finance Dr Waqar Masood acknowledged that funds have not been allocated in the budget for the purpose but added that there would be no issue of funds from Finance Ministry.
"There would be no problems from Finance Ministry for provision of funds to NACTA," the secretary said. He added that Ministry of Interior has yet to decide about the structure of NACTA or its attached departments. Senator Mushahid Hussain recommended that a special allocation may be made in the budget for martyrs - staff and students - of the Army Public School, Peshawar and that the money should be disbursed at the earliest to the families of those who laid down their lives during the brutal terror attack of December 16, 2014. There should also be compensation for those who were wounded in the attack, he suggested.
Mushahid Hussain also recommended that there should be allocation in the budget for Life & Medical Insurance for journalists, photographers & cameramen of both print and electronic media who lose their life in the line of duty, or are injured by bomb blasts or paralysed for life while performing their professional duties.
He added that in Pakistan every camera is insured but no cameraman. He said that the government through Ministry of Information and Broadcasting set up a fund with a seed money of Rs 10 million and matching fund by media organisations should also be contributed for the purpose.
Some members including Senator Ilyas Bilour stated that confusion persists about the western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) despite an All-Party Conference (APC) chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Officials of Planning Commission and Ministry of Communication stated that the government has allocated funds for feasibility and technical study of the western route and would take around fifteen years to complete the route from Khunjerab to Gwadar. Meanwhile priority would be to use the existing route. Secretary Planning Commission stated that the government allocated Rs 10 billion for western route in the next fiscal year's budget.
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