Rs768m spent on Musharraf trial, dharna that followed

ISLAMABAD: Interior ministry first received Rs. 22.59 million supplementary grant for high treason trial of Gen. (retd) Pervez Musharraf that followed PTI-PAT dharna to dislodge the government forcing the ministry to get additional Rs745.46 million to deal with it.
The supplementary budget for Musharraf’s trial is in addition to Rs. 57.2 million spent in the financial year 2013-14 raising the total expenses to Rs. 79.79 million.Likewise, the amount spent for police deployment and damages to public property during dharna is more than Rs745.46 million what was demanded through the supplementary grant.
The budgetary documents also included supplementary grants sanctioned to various ministries in the outgoing financial year pending approval from the National Assembly. Included among them were spending of interior ministry over and above the budget allocated last year among others.
As for as expenses relating to dharna, Rs. 695.46 million were spent for maintaining law and order. Another sum of Rs. 30 million was allocated for the fuel expenses of forces called in aid of civil administration and Rs. 20 million were distributed among police personnel as cash award.
Spending on maintaining public order during dharna is in contrast with what it cost to PTI. If PTI’s internal correspondence is any guide, its average daily spending just on D-Chowk sit-in only was Rs2.4 million as 126 days cost Rs300.91 million and the party was feeling financially bruised by the time Imran Khan announced to end sit-in.
In addition to supplementary grants for treason trial and dharna, the ministry also received extra amount for installation of CCTV cameras in Islamabad High Court, district courts, F-8 markaz and federal judicial complex, police department of federal area for making security arrangements on March 3, 2015, purchase of transport for chief commissioner and payment of compensation to the legal heirs of Super Market bomb blast.
As Rangers Sindh are busy in Karachi operation, a supplementary grant of Rs. 438.75 million was spent on stipend, incentives, award and allied expenditures in addition to Rs. 3.2 million given as award money to the families of martyrs of Rangers Sindh.