JUI-F dharna cost 13pc to govt of what it spent dealing with PTI dharna

ISLAMABAD: This year’s dharna organised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) has cost government 13% of what it spent in 2014 on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek dharna.

An interior ministry’s summary for supplementary grant sent to Economic Coordination Council of cabinet has requested the approval of a supplementary grant of Rs100 million which, it describes, have been spent to deal with protests started from October 27, the date announced by JUI-F for long march towards Islamabad. An earlier supplementary budgetary grant given to the ministry in 2014 for PTI-PAT dharna was Rs745.46 million which is 87% higher than the supplementary budget for this year’s dharna.

“ICT Administration had intimated that due to threat of dharna/ protest of political parties on 27.10.2019, necessary security arrangements were made. As per previous practice, mostly vehicles for security purpose were provided to Pak Army and Ranger… In this regard, ICT Administration and ICT Police had requested for provision of total additional funds amounting to Rs100,000,000/- (100 million) for the financial year 2019-20 through supplementary grant/ TSG under demand No.67 (ID-1438 & ID-1457) Deputy Commissioner Office, Islamabad and ICT Police respectively,” reads the summary.

These funds were used for purchasing fuel, hiring of vehicles, food, machinery and other services rendered. “Owing to peculiar emergent situation and in the light of paucity of existing allocation, Finance Division approved/ endorsed the proposal for technical supplementary of Rs100 million… subject to condition that Ministry of Interior shall move a summary for ex-post facto approval of ECC of the Cabinet… In view of the above, it is proposed that ex-post facto approval may be granted for additional funds,” it further reads.

While PTI dharna continued for 126 days, JUI-F quit after 17 days. Compared to PTI dharna which was organised in front of Parliament, the JUI-F was allocated space at Kashmir Road. Regarding 2014 dharna, two different figures were officially released. As budget was unveiled for 2015-16 financial year, it reported the supplementary grant of Rs745.46 million granted to the Interior Ministry for policing and administration purpose in connection with dharna.

Before the budget document, a question was raised in the National Assembly by Mussarat Rafique Mahesar of the PPP who had sought the detailed information about the security-related expenditures for the PTI and PAT sit-ins. A written reply submitted in January 2015 on behalf of Chaudhry Nisar Ahmed, then interior minister, said Rs877.819 million had been spent under this head.

In contrast, the PTI, the main organiser of dharna had spent less than half the governmental expenses incurred on dealing with it. If PTI’s internal correspondence is taken a guide which was then reported by The News, its average spending on daily basis was of Rs2.4 million making a total of Rs300.91 million and the party was feeling financially bruised by the time Imran Khan had announced to end dharna. Expenses incurred on PTI rallies and congregations outside Islamabad were apart from the above-mentioned budget.

How much the JUI-F spent in 17 days remains unexplored. However, intelligence agencies estimates indicated that the expenses crossed the figure of Rs1 billion in first three days. Included in it was the money spent on transportation for reaching to Islamabad from different parts of Pakistan.