Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri on Friday told the Senate that exports to European Union had increased by 22 percent last year.
Responding to a query by MMA's Senator Dr Ismail Buledi during question hour, the minister brushed aside the impression that exports to European Union and elsewhere had shown downward trend last year.
Opposition members, particularly those from Balochistan, complained of "discriminatory treatment" to their province. Buledi staged a token walkout from the House at one stage against "Balochistan's lesser representation in the Foreign Service".
However, the minister defended government policy, saying that quota system was strictly being observed in appointment of the personnel to missions abroad.
Defending Punjab's share in Foreign Service, the minister said that at the time of formulation of quota, Punjab's share was fixed at 50 percent, because it comprised 62 percent of total population.
Kasuri conceded that about 100 foreign missions were grossly understaffed and their salary was less than the diplomatic staff of even Iran, Turkey and Iraq.
In this connection, he added, a survey had been initiated and a summary about the salary of the staff of the foreign missions would be sent to Prime Minister Secretariat, seeking revision in salary.
He agreed with the senators from the treasury and the opposition that Pakistan's parliamentarians should be treated the way legislators of the United States are treated in their country.
Nisar A Memon and Abdul Razzaq Taheem also joined Senator Buledi, calling for according equal treatment to all the federating units.
Replying to a question by Senator Mrs Gulshan Saeed, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Yar Mohammad Rind told the House that Ecnec had approved Rs 1 billion for various water projects.
He added that under a plan, 82,000 watercourses would also be repaired.
The minister did not agree with a senator that loans ratio to the farmers had been lowered this year.
"In fact, there has been an addition of Rs 35 million in disbursement among growers," he said.
About government efforts to neutralise possible impact of the implementation of the WTO regime, he said that the government was making maximum efforts for lesser subsidies allocation by the advanced countries.
PML (N) Senator Ishaq Dar criticised the government for not doing enough along with other nations to compel the rich countries to slash subsidies on agriculture.
Pakistan's viewpoint, he pointed out, had been appreciated by many developing nations, including India.
Minister for Health M Nasir Khan informed the House that all private (unrecognised) medical colleges had been given March deadline to ensure registration of their institutions, otherwise action would be taken against them.
The minister said that Pakistan would try as much as it could, to dissuade the multinational pharmaceutical companies from increasing prices of their medicines. "Already they are earning enough profit. Therefore, there is no justification to increase prices of drugs," he asserted.
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