ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers while participating in the budget debate Wednesday termed population growth rate, malnutrition and water scarcity as three major challenges Pakistan would be facing in future if not addressed right now.
Sardar Owais Khan Leghari while participating in the debate said called for giving proper attention towards malnutrition, for ensuring a healthy population in the society.
He said that there was need to focuses on preventive health strategies rather than curative one.
He said that there studies which showed that Pakistan would be water scarce country by 2030 and highlighted the importance of developing National Water Policy to help devised strategies to overcome this impeding challenge.
He said that rising population was another challenge the country would be facing if not given proper attention at the current time.
Leghari said that the prudent policies by the government had put the economy on growth path as there has been 5.3 percent growth rate recorded during the outgoing fiscal year while the inflations has been contained at 4 percent. He said that Pakistan Stock
Exchange was also performing very well.
He said that it was one of the success of the current government that Population Census was completed after the gap of 19 years adding that the results of the census would begging to surface from August.
He suggested enhancing regional trade with neighboring countries to enhance exports, which have witnessed negative growth during the growth during the outgoing year.
He said that out of the total trade, 26 percent was done with regional countries which are below the potential.
He stressed the need for improving distribution network system to overcome power shortages and also advocated for providing net meters to consumers which would also help overcome energy crisis.
Taking part in discussion, Naseema Panazai claimed that discrimination was being meted out with the female lawmakers in allocation of funds and they were not given a signal penny to them during the last four years.
She urged the government to release funds to the female lawmakers immediately. She appreciated the government for approving various dam projects to be set up in Balochistan. However, she said only Rs 400 million was allocated in the budget for Zhob-Chashma power transmission line adding that it should be increased.
Taking part in the budget discussion, Iftikharuddin congratulated the government for presenting the federal budget for the fifth consecutive time. He said government's steps to strengthen economy were appreciable.
He said the government has included the Chitral in CPEC which would bring prosperity in the area.
He lauded the government for enhancing funds to Benazir Income Support Programme and requested for carrying out survey again so more deserving people could be added to it. He praised the PM for allocating more funds for completion of Lowari tunnel project.
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