Senate secretariat has spent a staggering amount of over Rs22 million in just four months, traveling / jet-setting around the world from April to July 2009 on 13 foreign trips made by senators to participate in various international events. The Chairman Senate Farooq H Naik said these expenses were incurred on air tickets, foreign exchange, and communication charges, hiring of transport and other miscellaneous expenditures, Geneva Rs 5.452 million, Oslo for a meagre Rs 5.127 million, China for Rs 4.515 million, UK trip cost us Rs 2 million and a trip to Ethiopia costed us Rs1.22 million.
Goodness gracious 22 Million in four months or an average of 5.5 million a month is enough to be the basic monthly salary of 4000 people (6000/month), it can possibly teach 2200 children for a whole year at Citizens Foundation (10,000/year) or another more touching calculation could be that this 22 Million can possibly feed 50,000 people for an entire week, or simply feed 2500 people for the entire four months that our Senators were out partying at the expense of the National Exchequer
I dread not hear the traveling expense of our dear’ol President Asif Ali Zardari and his side-kick Rehman Malik, which would be far more staggering then the senate disclosure. To be honest it may be spare change for some, but considering the hungry and starving in our country how can these elected representatives consciously, do our parliamentarians actually work FOR the people, or merely CON them for their own gains
Comments
11 responses to “While our Country starves, Senators spend Rs. 22 Million as travelling expenses in FOUR Months”
The Citizen Foundation
Board of Directors
Lt. Gen. (R) Sabeeh Qamar-uz-Zaman
http://www.thecitizensfoundation.org/profile/peop…
Dear Awaba Sahab,
The above mentioned General is still absconder on FIA Record for Corruption Cases in Pakistan Steel Mill registered in 1996.
February 2001 NAB was interrogating 358 bureaucrats
The National Accountability Bureau is interrogating 358 bureaucrats including Pakistan's sitting ambassador to the United States, and dozens of senior serving and retired officers , for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices or misuse of power.
Maliha Lodhi, Pakistan's Ambassador to United States, Mohammad Zafarullah Khan, ex secretary Water and Power; A.R.Najmi, Registrar Federal Shariat Court; Ms Surosh Sultan; an influential DMG officer and wife of politician Nasruallah Drashek; Salik Nazir, ex-Chief Secretary Sindh; Arshad Sami Khan, former federal secretary Culture; and Shahid Rafi are the most prominent among them. According to a latest report of National Accountability Bureau submitted in the Supreme Court on February 7 by Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, 190 cases of corruption are being investigated by NAB offices in Punjab; 82 by NAB Sindh; 35 by NAB NWFP; and 40 by NAB Balochistan. In comparison to the civilian bureaucrats, NAB is interrogating 15 retired army officials for their alleged corruption. They are Maj Gen (R) Sabeeh Qamar Uzzaman; Maj Gen (R) Sikandar Hayat; Major General Shujjat Bukhari; Major (R) Tariq Javed Afridi, MD Choolistan Department Authority; Brig Imtiaz, former DG IB; AVM (R) Umar Farooq, Admiral Mansoorul Haq; Vice Admiral Akbar H Khan; Maj(R) Muhammad Nawaz, PASSCO; ; Major (R) Mushtaq Ahmad, OSD Establishment Division; Air Marshal (R) Waqar Azeem; Brig (R) Tahir Khaili; and Air Cdr (R) Shahzada Babar Shah.
The Citizen Foundation
Board of Directors
Lt. Gen. (R) Sabeeh Qamar-uz-Zaman
In 1992 Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed a General, Sabeeh Qamar-uz-zaman, as chairman of Pakistan Steel. He was given the task of improving the situation and "normalizing" the working conditions. He imposed an undeclared ban on the trade unions at Pakistan Steel. Terror and the harassment of the unions were enforced in the name of discipline. An internal security intelligence unit, the FIU [headed by Colonel Afzal involved in a murder of a labour Laiq Chandio and later appointed as Chairman Pak Steel by Musharraf because he was Musharraf batchmate], was also established and was headed by an army colonel. This notorious intelligence unit "discovered" that 1500 workers were a "security risk". These workers were punished and removed from their jobs.
The Citizen Foundation Board of Directors
Auditors
KPMG Taseer Hadi & Company Chartered Accountants
Taseer Hadi
Salman Taseer, Former PPP Leader, present Governor Punjab.
Legal Counsel
Afridi, Shah & Minalla
Athar was appointed Minister for Law, Local Government, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights by the Provincial Government of NWFP (General Musharraf Martial Law 2000-2002). http://www.asmlaw.com.pk/
ATHAR MINALLAH
http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2008/10/restorat…
Aamir sb – you do raise a good valid point – but the way I see it, Pakistan is an inherently corrupt country and people live within our system – but hats off to TCF for having the courage to teach hundred of thousnads of students on a very consistent and regular basis – many of whom would never have seen any books if left at the mercy of our ghost school and our corrupt politicans
In that light somehow as to who's who on the board of directors becomes insignicant issue. That said it does not mean justice should not prevail, the corrupt must be taken to court at all costs.
But then the biggest of our evils rule over us like as if they were the biggest Sharif of all time – over riding Barbra Sharif and Nawaz Sharif in a flash
Corruption in pakistn knows no bounds
Its sickening to note this… Beyond disgusting. Corruption at its extreme. The worst part, nobody (who has a bit of sense) can do a THING about this highest level of corruption going on. What justice do we expect from these worst kind of thugs.
Their salaries reach millions… what do they do with them, I wonder. They can easily afford these trips. (if I go along with the fact that these trips were necessary — faulty logic anyway).
Thank you for at least trying to spread this. Should be of SOME good :S
Whats the big fuss??
PPP has elected Mr 10% (EX Mr10%, currently Mr 90%) as our president, so I'm sure 22 Million in four months is nothing
What can we do about it? NOTHING [PERIOD]
I hope people from SWAT come down and hang all these bastards.
I agree with Mr. Faris. I don't consider these lavish expenditures a big deal. As we all cry out to have a democracy in our country, then we should be ready to pay the price for such democratic practices as well. Bloody Democracy!
Agree with Faris and Aamir.
What is encouraging is that such actions are not hidden from the public eye.
Full marks to Amir and again Teeth Maestro to bring this into public knowledge .
It is so apt to conclude ;Poverty of Pakistan is because of its own rich and mighty.
The need is to change the public attitude towards it.Public perception is this cannot be brought to book so they just keep ignoring it.
The day a minister or a civil servant will be made to resign from the office because of his in-appropriate action or corruption and misuse of power because of public presure.
That is the day we will have Democracy and people will realise their strength.
thanks for bringing it publicly.. but you forgot to mention the name of the scoundrel senator.. plz tell us the name so that we don't have to confuse..