*ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has spent at least Rs 297 billion in the war againstterrorism in the last decade, Finance Minister Rana Afzal informed theSenate on Wednesday.*
Senator Tanvir Khan of the PML-N informed the Upper House about ‘war onterror’ cost in his written reply to a query. He said United States (US)had agreed to provide Pakistan $132 million for counter-terror efforts, ofwhich $111m has been received.
Rs152.925bn was released during Operation Zarb-i-Azb to militaryinstitutions, whereas over Rs67bn was granted to law enforcement agenciesand more than Rs31bn to bodies falling under the Defence Ministry, he added.
Out of Rs152.9 billion armed forces allocations, Pakistan Air Force wasgiven Rs12 billion, the Pakistan Navy Rs15 billion and Pakistan ArmyRs125.9 billion.
Alongside despatchment of funds to the armed forces, Rs45.25 billion worthof funds were provided to the Ministry of Safron and Fata Secretariat tofacilitate return and rehabilitation of the temporarily displaced personsand providing them housing subsidy.
Similarly, Rs67.6 billion was given to the Pakistan Rangers, the FrontierCorps, the Frontier Constabulary, the Pakistan Coast Guards and theGilgit-Baltistan Scouts to enable them to meet expenditures on equipmentprocurement.
Another Rs1.2 billion was spent by the National Database RegistrationAuthority (NADRA) to protect its buildings across the country under thishead.
The finance minister further informed that the government also took stepsto stop the smuggling of foreign currency, and has restricted travellersgoing abroad from carrying more than $10,000 at a time.