Islamabad: The National Assembly approved 18 demands for grants worth more than Rs95.02 billion for the Cabinet Division and its attached departments after rejecting 90 opposition cut motions.

The approval came following a vote in the House after opposition members demanded a formal count during consideration of the budgetary allocations.

According to the voting results, 179 members voted in favour of the demands for grants, while 39 members opposed them, leading to the passage of the allocations by a clear majority.

During the debate, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said corruption levels in Punjab were at their lowest and claimed that the ‘Suthra Punjab’ model was being followed across the country.

He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was established to attract foreign investment to Pakistan and had already facilitated investments worth billions of dollars in various sectors, with additional investment expected in the near future.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry stated that state affairs could not revolve around a single individual and referred to court convictions involving the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

He further claimed that the previous government had technically defaulted the country on April 1, 2022.

The minister also asserted that corruption was highest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Punjab enjoyed comparatively better governance and transparency standards.

Following the conclusion of the debate, the National Assembly rejected all opposition cut motions and approved the Cabinet Division’s demands for grants by majority vote.

The approval clears the way for funding of the Cabinet Division and its affiliated institutions under the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year.