Pakistan's budget on June 9

Islamabad, Jun 4 (UNI) Ruling Pakistan Muslim League government will present its fifth annual budget on June 9 amid increasing uncertainty over ongoing judicial crisis in the country.

''The federal budget for 2007-08 will be presented in the National Assembly on June 9,'' an official statement here said.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan.

Media reports had earlier said the government would increase the defence budget for the next fiscal by Pakistani rupees 30 billion.

The Defence Ministry had sought a Rs 300 billion budget for fiscal 2007-08, up from Rs 250.2 billion in 2006-07, and had sent its recommendations to the Finance Ministry.

Defence budget for the next fiscal year will be between Rs 277 billion and Rs 280 billion and this money is to be used to purchase modern equipments for the armed forces.

The new budget will be presented against the backdrop of deepening judicial crisis in the country with restrictions already imposed on several programmes by private TV channels surrounding controversy over Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and live telecast of his address to different bar associations.

Private Geo TV was put off the air on Sunday night while it was airing live show ''Merey Mutabiq'', anchored by Dr Shahid Masood.

Media organizations criticised Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), an official watchdog to regulate rules for private TV channels but the authority denied it issued instructions for blocking the coverage.

Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani had last week asked private TV channels to apply self censorship and avoid defaming national institutions like judiciary and armed forces.

His remarks coincided with a strong notice taken by the top military commanders for derogatory remarks against armed forces made by participants at a seminar on separation of powers and independence of judiciary in Islamabad on May 26.

The commanders, who met under military ruler Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi last Friday, reposed full confidence in his leadership.

UNI