Kaira rejects allegations about secret funds
ISLAMABAD, Sept 7 (APP): Rejecting the allegations of secret
funds, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira
on Friday said that a specific impression was being created against
the ministry through a propaganda campaign.
Talking to PTV from Barcelona, Spain, he said that the
propaganda campaign was started by the Leader of Opposition in the
National Assembly and now this impression was being reflected
in the media.
He said that the total budget of the ministry, as shown in
the budget document, was Rs 5.58 billion, out of which Rs 3.4 billion
were allocated for Radio Pakistan as it was not an earning organization.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Rs 250 million were earmarked for
Pakistan Television.
"We have a number of organizations, including Directorate of
Film Publication (DFP), Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) and Press
Information Department (PID) while Rs 530 million are allocated for
press attaches abroad," he added.
About the secret fund, Kaira clarified that Rs 100 million were
reserved for special publicity fund while a small amount of
Rs 12 million was kept under the head of secret fund.
This amount is meant for the treatment of the ailing journalists
and their family members, or their local and foreign tours, he added.
He said that newspersons of various countries were invited to
visit Pakistan and they were looked after from this budgetary
allocation.
The minister said that press clubs located in various parts of
the country were also supported from this fund.
He, however, said that allegations of secret fund of Rs.4
billion or more were totally false, fabricated and baseless.
The minister requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the
Honourable Judges to thoroughly probe this baseless allegation.
He assured that all relevant record would be produced before
the court. It is the responsibility of the court to
take a stern action against those who tried to use the judiciary and
spread misperception, he added.
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