Sale of Chancery building of Pakistan embassy in Indonesia: Case pending with NAB since April 2002, Senate told

The Senate was informed on Tuesday that a case pertaining to alleged dubious sale of chancery building of Pakistan and embassy residence in Indonesia has been with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) since April 2012.
In a written reply to a question during the question hour, Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that chancery building of Pakistan embassy (measuring1730sq metres) was sold for US $1.23 million and the embassy residence in Jakarta (measuring 2849 sq metres) was sold for US $1.96 million in February 2002 and October 2002 respectively.
Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan of ruling PML-N and PPP's Senator Farhatullah Babar wanted to know the findings of the investigation committee, alleging the previous buildings in prime localities were sold out for peanuts. They wanted to know what action was taken against those who were behind the matter. Aziz said that the ministry had conducted an inquiry, which was presented before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that had again called for probe afresh, which was also carried out and submitted to it. The PAC had forwarded it to NAB for further action. He added no information was shared with the ministry about any progress in this connection.
When the senators kept pressing why the huge property was sold at a throwaway price, Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani sarcastically remarked that the senators should not ask about a 'state secret.'
State Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar informed the House that during two years (from 2013 to 2015), there had been an increase of about 0.5 million hepatitis-C patients. She explained there were about 9.2 million hepatitis-C patients in 2013 while the number increased to 9.4 million in 2014 and 9.7 million in 2015.
The minister noted that according to the National Hepatitis Survey in 2008, the total number of patients stood at 8 million. State Minister for Interior Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that a major breakthrough has been achieved by giving 98 per cent subsidy on the hepatitis-C medicines. He claimed a tablet available in the international market at $1000 could be bought for just Rs 100 in Pakistan. He also talked about a number of steps being taken to combat the disease.
However, the senators objected to his claim and pointed out if the steps are effective, why the number of patients has increased significantly. During the question hour, the government told the Senate that the Simla Agreement in no way restricts the raising or discussing the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at the United Nations or for that matter any other forum, and that it is an issue of world peace and security.
The Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs in a written reply to a question by PML-N Senator Rahila Magsi, said that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India is in fact an issue of international peace and security and it has been on the agenda of the UN Security Council since 1948.
"Various resolutions of the UN Security Council have recognised the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and have stipulated that the final disposition of the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the UN," he noted.
He pointed out that UN peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan continues to monitor the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with its mandate authorised by the UN Security Council.
That is the legal status of Jammu and Kashmir issue, he contented, which remains unchanged and that the UNSC resolutions are accepted by both India and Pakistan and are binding on the both. "These resolutions remain to be implemented. People of Jammu and Kashmir have yet to exercise their right to self-determination as guaranteed in these resolutions, and promised by the international community," he said.
Aziz noted, "It is in this framework and in line with our policy that Pakistan has been consistently raising the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at the United Nations, including the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and other fora. The primary objective of our efforts and interventions in this regard is to draw attention of the international community to the long outstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir on the UN Security Council.