ISLAMABAD: Though the country is facing serious internal threats, the federal government has reduced operational budget of all law-enforcement agencies, including the Islamabad police, Rangers and civil defence forces.

But the federal budget, approved by the National Assembly on Saturday, has shown a slight increase in the allocation for the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

The total allocation of the IB, including funds for its operational expenditures, for the fiscal year 2014-15 is Rs3.75 billion against Rs3.70bn in the outgoing fiscal ending on June 30.

Even the budget of the much trumpeted National Counter Terrorism Autho­rity (Nacta) has been dec­reased by Rs2.03bn to Rs92.03bn from Rs95bn in 2013-14.

The operational budget of Nacta for the next fiscal has been kept at Rs20.8m against Rs24.8m in the current year.

According to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the authority has been established to develop action plans against terrorism and extremism.

But it “is visible only by its absence,” says retired Major General Athar Abbas, former director general of the Inter-Services Public Rela­tions. Security experts decry “lack of direction” in developing an internal security mechanism, particularly in the wake of the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan.

The conditions are similar for Rangers, who are playing a significant role in maintaining law and order in Sindh, some parts or Punjab and even the federal capital.

The operational budget of the Sindh Rangers, who are actively working for maintaining law and order in Karachi, has been reduced by more than 10 per cent to Rs306.86m from Rs341.17m in the outgoing year.

Funds for procuring physical assets of the Rangers have been decreased to Rs201.9m from Rs225.9m in the outgoing year and the budget for repair and maintenance to Rs37.64m from Rs41.44m.

The Pakistan Rangers, Punjab, is facing even more cuts as its operational budget is down by around 13pc to Rs336.55m from Rs386.01m of 2013-14.

The repair and maintenance budget of the Rangers has been slashed to Rs32.80m from Rs41m of the outgoing fiscal.

The operational budget of the Islamabad police has been decreased by almost 9pc to Rs326.8m from Rs358.9m of the outgoing year. The repair and maintenance fund of the police has gone down by Rs4.6m.

Likewise, the operational budget of other civil forces, which work under the interior ministry, has been reduced by more than Rs60m.

The combined operational budget of the Frontier Corps, Gilgit Baltistan Scouts and Balochistan Levies is Rs2.47bn, against Rs2.53bn of the FY 2013-14.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd , 2014