Pakistani lawmakers demand details of US military presence
Jan 29, 2007 - 1:25:22 PM
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If the PAC cannot ask questions about revenues generated from leasing air bases and building housing societies in the name of defence services, then who else can, he asked.
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By IANS,
[RxPG] Islamabad, Jan 29 - Pakistan's lawmakers have demanded details of agreements under which the government has allowed foreign, especially US, forces, access to air bases and other facilities in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack.
The government has not been forthcoming.
The Pakistan People's Party - of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Sunday demanded that parliament be taken into confidence on the agreements allowing the use of the country's air bases by foreign troops, the revenues received from leasing the air bases and how the revenues have been utilised.
The government has denied the presence of forces, although US media reports have in the recent years indicated so.
The government has told the lawmakers that the country's sovereignty has not been affected. The use of 'select' air bases has been allowed as part of the government's policy of combating terrorism.
The National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee - asked for information but the defence ministry declined saying it was not in the purview of the committee.
Earlier, the ministry had refused to answer questions regarding real-estate developers using the name of armed forces, The Daily Times said.
'The self serving refusal to trust the PAC is not only a mockery of the parliament, it smacks of arrogance and raises serious questions on transparency,' said PPP leader Farhatullah Babar in a statement here on Sunday.
If the PAC cannot ask questions about revenues generated from leasing air bases and building housing societies in the name of defence services, then who else can, he asked.
Although the country's defence budget is tabled in the National Assembly, it has the symbolic one rupee allocation for parliamentary approval. The system, that has been in force for long was partially changed last year, allowing a measure of parliamentary scrutiny, especially by the PAC.
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