The government will unveil a policy in the next budget for unemployed people that would be accurately determined by a survey likely to be conducted ahead of the budget.
"The surveys conducted by the previous government were not accurate," Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira told the Senate, while referring to 4.5 million, which, he said, were shown as unpaid family helpers during last two years. These 4.5 people were shown as employed.
The government, he said, would conduct a fresh survey to find out accurate number of unemployed people in the country with the purpose to announce a policy that would ensure jobs to them.
The policy, designed to create a competent skilled workforce demanded at home and abroad, would be announced in the next budget, he added. According to surveys conducted in 2003-07, Kaira said, there were 9.28 million unemployed people were unemployed in the country, but these were to be rechecked as Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed demanded of the government to give factual figures. Senator Babar Awan said he had noted a deep sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan, as their complaints were not being heard.
The Senators from Balochistan sought employment quota for the people of the province, drawing the attention of the chair that policies being followed by the Centre had marginalised the people of under-developed areas. "Discrimination against under-privileged areas must be stopped," Senator Buledi said, adding priority should be given to the less developed areas to bring them at par with other areas.
Another Senator wanted the constitutionally agreed provision of quota must be applied to small provinces. The issue of human smuggling also echoed in the House with senators wondering why the government was not taking action against the people involved in heinous crimes and bringing bad name to the country.
"The government intends to discourage all kinds of smuggling," Kaira said, and added the issue related to the Interior Ministry, which could explain in a better way about the measures it had taken to address it. Senate Chairman Muhammamian Soomro assured the members of writing to the Ministry of Interior on the issue of human smuggling.
Senator Babar Awan referred to a Ministry of Interior report that pointed out 350 most wanted people were involved in human smuggling from two districts alone, calling for a special task force to deal with the problem. Kaira said that 287,707 people were sent abroad for employment during 2007 with majority of them going to the United Arab Emirates. The Senators from Balochistan said their province was not given share in employment abroad.