Govt taking steps for Pakistani prisoners release from foreign countries: NA told
01 September, 2006
ISLAMABAD: Minister of state for Interior Khusro Bakhtiar has said that government is taking every possible measure for the release of Pakistanis imprisoned in foreign countries and their return to country.
During question hour in National Assembly on Thursday, the Minister said that government was taking steps for the release of Pakistani prisoners in foreign countries besides providing them legal help.
He told the lower house that 159 Pakistanis are imprisoned in 10 detainee camps in Malaysia and the main cause behind their imprisonment was concerning immigration. Pakistani Missions take steps with the assistance of immigration authorities for the release of Pakistani detainees in immigration camps, he maintained.
The Minister went on to say that funds collected under Pakistan Community Welfare and Education Fund on behalf of Pakistani Missions in Spain, France, Germany, US and Saudi Arabia are spent on the help of those who are arrested for illegally living in foreign countries.
He said that Missions of every country are independent and they issue visas according to their own will because they are not bound to government’s orders. However, despite this, relatives of Parliamentarians provide facilities regarding the issuance of visas, he added.
The Minister said that government was mulling to give ticket to Muhammad Esa and eight members of his family imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since last five years after their release. Rest of the cases of same type will also be reviewed, he maintained.
Taking the floor, Federal Minister for Health Nasir Khan told NA that Prime Minister’s programme for prevention of Hepatitis and its control has been started and Rs 2.59 billion would be spent on the said programme. He said that this programme would continue till 2010.
He said that there was great need of changing sewerage system in major cities of the country. Khan said that Programme for the prevention of Hepatitis was being implemented in four provinces besides FATA and Azad Kashmir. Work has been started in 60 hospitals for the prevention of Hepatitis, adding 10 hospitals of NWFP are working in this regard, he said.
Khan said that 11,000 hepatitis patients would be treated this year. Treatment of this disease take the cost of Rs 80,000 but government is providing free treatment for this.
He said that polio will be completely eradicated this year and asked provincial and district governments to give funds for polio eradication. Khan said that suggestion has been given for establishing Liver Transplantation Center in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Total cost of said project is Rs 427.165 million and if the project to be approved, it will be accomplished in 18 months, he said.
Khan said that PC-1 has been approved for establishing Liver Transplantation Center in Shaikh Zaid Hospital, Lahore. Rs 170.25 million will be spent on the said project and it will be completed in two years.
Federal Minister for Narcotics Ghous Bakhsh Mehar said that government took number of steps to control drugs production and its use in the country. He said that Anti-Narcotics Force destroyed 8 factories of heroin in June this year.
Mehar said that crop of poppy was destroyed with the cooperation of provincial governments. He said that two modern centers have been established in Islamabad and Quetta for the treatment of drug-addicts.
Minister for Railways Shaikh Rashid Ahmed said that suggestion were being considered to operationalize circular trains in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan, Hyderabad, and Kotri.
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