ISLAMABAD, June 17: For the first time in the country’s history, details of the defence budget for the current as well as the next financial year were placed before parliament amid applause from both treasury and opposition benches.

The Leader of the House in the Senate, Raza Rabbani, laid before the house the papers containing service-wise break-up of the Rs295.306 billion budget for the next financial year and Rs276.186 billion revised budget for the current year.

At the outset of the session, which started two hours late, Mr Rabbani termed the move a step towards sovereignty of parliament. He said that in the past “only one-line defence budget” was presented and the issue was never debated in parliament.

He said the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N had agreed in the Charter of Democracy that the defence budget would be brought to parliament for debate.

Mr Rabbani admitted that complete details were still not being provided to the Senate, but expressed the hope that next time more details of defence expenditures would come before the house for discussion.

The defence budget details were put before the Senate on the last day of a general debate on the budget, which is expected to be passed by the National Assembly by June 26.

Senators were given only two hours for discussion on defence spending after which Finance Minister Naveed Qamar wrapped up the debate.

A total of Rs295.306 billion has been allocated for defence services, as against Rs276.186 billion for the current year. An amount of Rs99.09 billion has been allocated for employees-related expenses, Rs82.84 billion for operating expenses, including Rs12.08 billion for travel and transportation and Rs70.75 billion for general expenditures, Rs87.63 billion for physical assets and Rs25.73 billion for civil works.

According to the revised budget for the current year (2007-08), Rs95.74 billion had been allocated for employees-related expenses, Rs74.33 billion for operating expenses, including Rs12.54 billion for travel and transportation and Rs61.79 billion for general expenditures, Rs82.91 billion for physical assets and Rs23.20 billion for civil works.

The service-wise break-up for 2008-09 shows that Rs128.699 billion has been earmarked for the army, Rs71.006 billion for the air force, Rs29.133 billion for the navy and Rs66.467 billion for defence procurement (DP) establishment and other accounts organisations.

During the current year, the allocation for army was Rs123.290 billion, for air force Rs63.332 billion, for navy Rs26.454 billion and for DP establishment and other organisations Rs63.109 billion.

Of the Rs128.699 billion allocated to the army, Rs71.274 billion has been set aside for employees-related expenses, Rs22.337bn for operating expenses, including Rs4.682bn for travel and transportation, and Rs17.654bn for general expenditures, Rs21.527bn for physical assets and Rs13.560bn for civil works.

Of Rs71.006 billion allocated for air force, Rs10.706 billion has been kept for employees-related expenses, Rs16.463 billion for operating expenses, including Rs2.183 billion for travel and transportation, and Rs14.279 billion for general expenditures, Rs39.597 billion for physical assets and Rs4.239 billion for civil works.

Of the Rs29.133 billion proposed for the navy, Rs6.750 billion has been allocated for employees-related expenses, Rs3.910 billion for operating expenses, including Rs1.432 billion for travel and transportation and Rs2.477 billion for general expenditures, Rs15.712 billion for physical assets and Rs2.759 billion for civil works.

An amount of Rs66.467 billion has been proposed for DP establishment, ISOs and accounts organisations. Of the allocation, Rs10.359 billion has been set aside for employees-related expenses, Rs40.129 billion for operating expenses, including Rs3.786 billion for travel and transportation and Rs36.342 billion for general expenditures, Rs10.8 billion for physical assets and Rs5.176 billion for civil works.

While some members of the ruling coalition called for slashing the defence budget because of its interference in politics, opposition members suggested that the allocation should be increased because of the tense situation at the country’s border.

Treasury Senator Khalid Soomro criticised the army for carrying out operations in the tribal areas and Lal Masjid and suggested that the defence budget should be curtailed by 50 per cent.

At this, some of the opposition women senators protested over the criticism on the army by treasury members and threatened to stage a walkout. However, Opposition Leader in the Senate Kamil Ali Agha persuaded them not to do so.

Mr Rabbani said the PPP did not want confrontation with any institution, but one thing was clear: parliament was the supreme institution.

“Parliament is the supreme institution and all other institutions are accountable to it,” he maintained.

He said the PPP and the PML-N had also defined the role of intelligence agencies in the Charter of Democracy and that would be ensured in future.

Mr Agha lauded the government’s decision to place the defence budget before parliament, but said there should be no confrontation among institutions.