The Upper House of Parliament was informed on Friday that average consumption of wheat in the country on an annual basis is approximately 26.19 million tons. The House was informed during the question hour that Punjab was at the top with consumption of 13.52 million tons wheat, followed by Sindh with 5.94 million tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 3.94 million tons and Balochistan with 1.29 million tons, while 1.00 million tons for strategic reserves and deficit areas and 0.50 million tons for seed and feed requirements.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that there was no condition attached to designation of the status of non-Nato ally for Pakistan. "It is a reflection of the desire of Pakistan and US to strengthen cooperation and maintain long-term closer and friendly relations," he added.
He said former US Secretary of State Colin Powel during a visit to Pakistan in March 2004, had stated that he had brought a message from American people and the then president George W Bush and the US wishes to have long-term relations with Pakistan and also to further cement the bonds of friendship.
Asif explained that Colin Powel said that the US government had made a notification to the Congress that would designate Pakistan a major non-Nato ally and in June 2004, the US administration received the endorsement of the US Congress, which completed the legal procedure required to declare Pakistan a non-Nato ally. PPP Senator Sehar Kamran had asked about under what terms and conditions Pakistan was granted the status of non-Nato ally and its present status.
A special committee of the Senate to be constituted by Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani in consultation with Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq and Opposition Leader Aetizaz Ahsan will look into the affairs of the sports federations. During the question hour, Rabbani said this after senators questioned the performance of the sports bodies and expressed concern over the falling standards of various games.
"Sports are not making any progress but the officials related to the concerned bodies are enjoying. There are "qabza" groups sitting in many sports bodies. This is a big scandal, Chairman please take a suo moto notice of this situation. Retired bureaucrats, military men and others keep on fighting," Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, present on the occasion, rose to say. The Pakistan Olympic Association, he pointed out, was one such example.
Senator Usman Kakar of PKMAP lamented that 70-80 percent top players were from Liyari and Chaman, still there were no facility was made available in those areas for development of football. In a written reply to a question by MQM Senator Atique Sheikh, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada said at the moment, Pakistan Football Federation is not operational due to a pending case in Lahore High Court and its affairs are being looked after by an administrator appointed by the High Court.
He added Pakistan Sports Board would continue to support the talent hunt programme in order to bring Pakistani football players' talent on the forefront. Senator Atique had asked whether it was an act that UK's largest football league was going to start its operations in Pakistan, if so, the names of cities in which their operations were going to be launched and whether any talent hunt has been started in this regard by Pakistan Sports Board.
The minister confirmed that Leisure Leagues had already organised an event in Lahore in July this year. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmad assured the House that he would place before the minister for overseas Pakistanis the issue of early issuance of NoCs to hundreds of Pakistani workers in Muscat.
Rabbani referred the issue of restrictions on movement of urea from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the House committee concerned for report within a month. Khawaja Asif confirmed this when Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo said that urea was used in making explosive devices. But Bizenjo insisted that its movement should be relaxed.
On not finding Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar, Rabbani said she was seen but was not present in the House to answer the questions pertaining to her ministry. He noted that there were over 50 members of the cabinet but the entire burden was on parliamentary affairs minister which is quite unfortunate. He asked if the Prime Minister could come to the House as per commitment, why not the other ministers?
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