NA panel recommends: Purchase of Allama Iqbal's Cambridge residence be accorded least priority

A National Assembly panel, endorsing Rs6,305.519 million budgetary proposals for 2020-21, on Tuesday asked Ministry of Foreign Affairs to keep purchasing of Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal's residence in Cambridge at least priority due to the austerity measures of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs which met with Malik Mohammad Ehsan Ullah Tiwana, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker, pointed out that there were reports that the residence of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi is in dilapidated conditions due to lack of proper maintenance.

Asking the ministry to prioritize the purchase of Allama Iqbal's residence in Cambridge, UK, at the least, Tiwana said that there is a need to take proper care of the heritage within the country as the first priority.

Special Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moazzam Ahmad Khan told the committee that Pakistan's national poet Allama Mohammad Iqbal had used to reside in the house in Cambridge during his studies which is now the property of a British national.

He said that the ministry has allocated Rs138.243 million for the purchase of the former residence of Allama Iqbal on the recommendation of National Assembly through a resolution. He said that there was a proposal to purchase the building and convert it into a museum.

However, the committee endorsed all the budgetary proposals for eight projects of worth Rs6305.519 million from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) with the recommendation to keep purchasing Iqbal's residence in Cambridge at the least priority list.

The committee while endorsing all the budgetary proposals for the financial year 2020-21 directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may ensure the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan's austerity drive and initiate only those projects which are viable for the country.