Foreign Ministry on Tuesday informed the Upper House of the Parliament that as many as 920 Pakistani prisoners, including 770 civilians, 132 fishermen and 18 missing defence personnel are detained in Indian jails. In a written reply, the Ministry informed the Senate that the total number of Indians in Pakistan's custody is 203 with 63 civilians and 140 fishermen.
The Ministry stated that whenever the Pakistani High Commission gets information about arrest of any Pakistani national, it immediately takes up the case with the Indian authorities for consular access to alleviate the sufferings of the Pakistani prisoners. In response to a supplementary question, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Imad Khan said the Indian authorities had not confirmed about the whereabouts of 18 missing defence personnel.
To another question Imad Khan said that Indian authorities use third degree torture against all the Pakistani prisoners. Chairman Senate Farooq H Naek urged the foreign ministry to take up the matter of serious torture meted out to Pakistani prisoners with the Indian authorities Minister for Health Makhdoom Shahbuddin informed the House that Polyclinic has provided medicines worth Rs 58.344 million to patients during 2008-09 and 2009-10.
He said 99 percent visitors are provided free-of-cost medicines and treatment at the federal hospitals while around 5,000 patients are examined at the hospital OPDs. The Minister informed the House in a written reply that the Ministry of Health launched National Breast Cancer Screening Programme with a cost of Rs 421.20 million. The house was also informed that fish production and exports has been increased from $138 million in 2004 to $237 million in the current year.