Minister of State for Finance Ayesha Ghos Pasha told the National Assembly that Pakistan faced a difficult situation when the coalition government came to power, but now there is no risk of default.
Speaking during the question interval in the Assembly session, the minister said that the country is going through a tough time as a result of the suspension of the program of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Pasha said that we have revived the IMF program while exports are seeing improvement and remittances are also coming into the country.
He added that investors are showing interest in investing in the country due to reforms. He added that the international community has shown its intention to help Pakistan in its post-flood recovery, with policies being made to increase the size of the formal economy by bringing potential taxpayers into the tax net.
The minister said that the entire supply chain from import to retail is being integrated with the FBR system to ensure documentation. He said that it is the responsibility of every Pakistani to pay taxes to provide funds for health, education, transport, defense and other sectors. Both internal and external factors are behind the current price hike and curbing it is the priority of the government.
In response to a question, Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar said that there cannot be full trade with Iran due to US sanctions on Iran. After the US sanctions are lifted, there will be talks with Iran to strengthen trade between the two countries.
JUIF MP Jamal Uddin questioned what were the obstacles in starting trade between Pakistan and Iran when India and Iran were doing business activities. Qamar said that Pakistan’s trade with the UAE has increased and the government wants to increase it further.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi said that the damage assessment has been completed in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan, while the survey of other provinces will be completed by the end of this month. In Sindh and Balochistan, the damage estimate could not be completed because water is standing in some areas. He was confident that the damage estimate data would be available by the first week of next month.
Later, the National Assembly passed a resolution under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect the rights of all children enshrined in the 1973 Constitution and for a more equitable and inclusive Pakistan. The resolution moved by Mehnaz Akbar Aziz recognized the rights of every child as well as mothers and emphasized the need to provide the best available early care and safe environment for all children.
The resolution condemned the brutal practices of child trafficking, abuse, pornography and prostitution and recommended legislation and implementation to prevent these inhumane crimes. It also endorsed addressing the threat of child and bonded labor enshrined in the Constitution. The resolution pledged to ensure the inclusion of children’s voices in important matters for the establishment of peace and harmony in society. He vowed to create equal opportunities for all so that quality education can be truly achieved. The House resolved to invest time and effort in addressing the risk of stunted growth among children to reduce malnutrition among children and mothers and to secure Pakistan’s future.
The House through the resolution said that a child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be provided with special treatment, education and care according to his condition. The resolution pledged to provide more opportunities for children’s civic engagement because their involvement is critical to the future of democracy. It reiterated the strengthening of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights for child-focused legislation, advocacy and monitoring.
