Imran Khan slashes Pakistan president's budget to less than half

overall budget of Pakistan's presidency has been slashed by more than 60 per cent for 2020-21, while expenditures of Supreme Court and Islamab High Court enhanced for same period, according to budget document. Pakistan anunced its budget for 2020-21 on Friday and its details are still emerging.

Dawn newspaper reported that total budget of President House was Rs 992 million for outgoing fiscal year but President Arif Alvi reduced it by Rs 597 million, or 60.18 per cent for 2020-21, and reduction was shown in personal expenditures of president along with cuts in allowances of human resources working re.

budget book 2020-21 shows that regular allowance and or allowances of staff and officers posted in President Secretariat are Rs 193.22 million for upcoming fiscal year, as compared to Rs 458.74 million spent under same he in outgoing fiscal year.

Similarly, a major cut has been me in operating expenditures of presidency to Rs 53.38 million, which was Rs 180.44 million in fiscal 2019-20. A major reduction has been me in repair and maintenance expenditures for upcoming fiscal year at Rs 3.86 million as compared to Rs 21 million in outgoing year.

It seems that President Alvi is t taking any salary that was Rs 10.75 million in 2019-20 as re is mention of this he in budget book along with or expenditures such as Rs 15.65 million for his tour expenses and Rs 63.37 million as miscellaneous spending, report said.

budget was increased for Supreme Court, Islamab High Court, federal ombudsman secretariat for protection against harassment of women at work, Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, Federal Tax Ombudsman, offices of Accountant General Pakistan and Auditor General Pakistan, it said.

expenditures of Supreme Court show an increase of almost 15 per cent in new budget, at Rs 2.40 billion, which includes an increase in salary and allowances by 16.12 percent for next fiscal year. budget book shows that Islamab High Court (IHC) has increased salaries and allowances of its human resources including judges, or officers and staff by 33.86 per cent.

total budget of Prime Minister including "internal and public" is Rs 863.00 million, down from Rs 1.04 billion expenses incurred in outgoing fiscal year, report said. Cuts me in almost all hes and employees related expenditures of PM House office is Rs 686.8 million against Rs 752.8 million incurred in last fiscal year, whereas approved budget of pay and allowances of PM office for 2019-20 was Rs 879.4 million.