State Min-ister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan Friday informed the National Assembly that "no record of $200 billion laundered to different countries is available with the government."
Responding to a question asked by PPP's Nafeesa Shah about bringing back billions of dollars laundered out of the country, he said that a task force has been set up in this regard and all-out efforts are being made to bring back all the money sent out through money laundering.
He said that no matter whether a politician, a general, a bureaucrat or anyone else is involved in this dirty business, he will have to bring back the money stashed in foreign banks.
Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari admitted that the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should have run a background check before hiring a man, who was recently arrested for raping a minor for four days and filming him, as a consultant for the government.
Responding to a calling attention notice, she said that the suspect confessed to the crime, adding that he had sexually assaulted 30 children in Pakistan, besides serving as a consultant for KP Civil Secretariat and receiving a handsome salary of Rs 300,000 per month.
"Who had hired the suspect on whose recommendation?" questioned PPP lawmaker Abdul Qadir Patel. He demanded that a committee be formed to look into the matter.
Mazari condemned the incident, saying that the international organizations refer consultants for projects that are being overseen by them. She said the PTI government has started the process to ensure implementation of legislation aimed at protecting the rights of children.
Expressing concern over the incidents of child abuse, she said, "We have decided to develop a sex offender registry."
She said that an awareness campaign has also been started against child abuse in all the schools of the federal capital.
She said, "It is the first time that our government has also started a child labor survey which will be completed by June next year."
The National Assembly was informed that a nationwide poverty survey is underway to update the data of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
During question hour, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that the survey is expected to be completed by mid of next year and its data will be shared. He said that the BISP currently reaches out to 5.02 million vulnerable and destitute households across the country to cushion them against income shocks triggered by inflation. He said an amount of Rs 104.6 billion was disbursed among the poor families during the last financial year.
Khan said a process has been started to bring reforms in the civil services and public sector departments.
Responding to a supplementary question raised by PPP MNA Jam Abdul Karim Bijar, he said that all privileges being given to the special assistant to the prime minister on information & broadcasting are as per rules and enacted laws. "All privileges are being given to Firdous Ashiq Awan as per act and law," he added.
According to the written reply received to the National Assembly from Cabinet Division, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information & Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan had been granted the status of minister of state.
Accordingly, she is entitled to salary, allowances and privileges which are normally available to ministers of state under the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975.
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Rukhsana Naveed told the House that ban on the plastic bag has fully been implemented in the federal capital.
She said violators of the ban are also being fined, adding the concerned authorities have also confiscated plastic bags from different shops and malls.
Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said that letters have been written to the government and opposition lawmakers to discuss new appointments of members in the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Speaking in National Assembly, he said that letters have been written to both (government and Opposition) and efforts are under way to develop consensus on the issue.
Islamabad High Court had referred the unresolved matter of appointment of two ECP members to the chairman Senate and NA speaker to reach a consensus at the earliest.
The house was also told that no proposal is under consideration to rename Islamabad Airport as Benazir Bhutto international Airport as demanded by the PPP.
About state-run PTV, the house was informed that after PTI came into power, the deficit of it has been reduced, adding during fiscal year 2018-19 its income was over Rs 11.56 billion while after incurring the expenditures of over Rs 11.21 billion, profit stands at over Rs 350 million.
Replying to another question regarding assets of Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), the house was informed that the Board is an independent institution, established by the Parliament in 1975.
The cost of transferable assets of the board is over Rs 6.19 billion while cost of non-transferable assets is over Rs 69.5 million.
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