1.173 million Pakistanis deported from Gulf states in six months: Senate informed

The Senate was informed on Tuesday that during the last six months, as many as 1.173 million Pakistanis were repatriated/deported from Gulf states, including 1.113 million from Saudi Arabia. Besides, Saudi Arabia, 2,840 were deported from United Arab Emirates, 1,088 from Oman, 83 from Kuwait, 75 from Qatar and 60 from Bahrain.
Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development stated this while responding to a question asked by Senator Kalsoom Perveen of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He said that the reasons for repatriation and deportation include overstay, expiry of iqama, absconder cases, border cases, illegal entrance and stay, absence of valid residence permit, deportation after completion of jail sentence, and change of employer without permission.
To another question by Senator Karim Ahmad Khawaja of PPP, he said that from 1971 to September 2017, 10.133 million Pakistanis had proceeded abroad for employment while during the last five years stood at 4.1871 million.
Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan said that 26.38 million tons of wheat was produced in 2016-17 and 6.85 million tons of rice while per annum domestic consumption of what was 26.19 million tons and 3 million tons of rice. Minister for National Health Services, regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar confirmed that there was a proposal to build 46 hospitals across Pakistan. She said that PC-II to conduct the feasibility study for the project - have already been undertaken and approved by CDWP on March 9.
She explained that a company was formed and Rs 131 million approved for the conduct of feasibility study while the government had already allocated Rs 8000 million for this mega project. She said there were some issues in a few provinces which included allocation of land for the proposed hospitals. She was responding to a question by PPP Senator Ahmed Hassan.
To a question by PTI's Azam Swati, the house was told that only one post of education attaché (BS-18/19) was available and recruitment was under process while the one in Birmingham was closed on the decision of the Foreign Office, which was created politically to appoint Malala Yousafzai's father - Ziauddin Yousafzai - as education attaché - who was not a government officer.
To a question by Senator Mian Ateeq Sheikh of MQM, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that a total of 37 (21 public and 16 private sector) universities and degree-awarding institutes were conducting research and development activities in areas of Internet of Things (IOT) and Software Defined Network (SDN) in Pakistan. He added 718 public and private sector students were involved in these research activities.
The minister noted that Rs 57.98 million stipend and grants had been provided to these students, universities and institutes for conducting the research work.
Replying to a question by MQM's Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada informed the House that since Pakistan Football Federation had not been implementing national Sports Policy-2005 and SRO (1) 2014, June 11, 2014, due to which the government was not in a position to take any step for promotion and development of football in Pakistan. He added funds were not released to the federation since 2012 because it was non-compliant.
At the start of the question hour, the minister concerned was not present in the House, when the very first question was taken up regarding overseas Pakistanis. Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani regretted that there were 50 ministers while one minister had made this House hostage due to his absence. He hinted at adjourning the proceedings if the minister was not coming. However, by that time, minister of state Abdul Rehman Kanju stepped in.
Javed Hashmi, a disgruntled PML-N who had quit the party and joined PTI, which he also quit, witnessed house proceedings from the visitors' gallery. The chairman Senate welcomed him, and said Hashmi had fought a long battle against the military dictators.