By Asad Cheema
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan Friday said the government took care of the poor during the coronavirus pandemic and 14 million families were given financial assistance from the Ehsaas Cash transfer programme. Speaking in the National Assembly on the cut motions of different divisions, moved by legislators, Ali Muhammad said the prime minister decided that nobody involved in the sugar crisis would be spared.
he report on sugar crisis was completed in a month and then was sent for forensic and to the relevant departments for necessary action, he added. He said Pakistan Muslim League(N) and Pakistan Peoples Party never held an inquiry to hold persons responsible for the crises that happened in their governments. He said India went towards the lockdown during the spread of coronavirus pandemic and then it could not stop its economic collapse. Since start of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Imran Khan was persistently saying that complete lockdown could not be imposed as it would hurt the poor, he added.
He said the previous government could not increase the exports, left a high current account deficit and the debt went up from Rs 6000 billion to Rs 30000 billion in ten years. Ali Muhammad said the United States and United Kingdom despite their huge resources could not take care of all the financial needs of their citizens during the complete lockdown. The prime minister ordered setting up of Panahgahs to ensure food and lodging for poor people, he added.
The minister said investment by the previous governments for the agriculture sector was decreased by 60 percent. He pointed out the prime minister made it clear that he had no personal problem with anybody but he would hold everybody accountable on financial matters. Pakistan had great potential in the tourism sector and the federal government through a policy strengthened tourism in the provinces, he added.
He criticized those who launched personal attacks against the prime minister during the time when he was raising funds for establishing a cancer hospital. Imran Khan reduced his expenditure for travels abroad while Prime Minister Office, President House, National Assembly and other institutions also reduced their spending, he informed.
He said the advisers in the cabinet had declared their citizenships and assets. The minister said the issue of the report laid down by the civil aviation minister on the recent crash of plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), in the house should be referred to the relevant committee. Opposition should support the government on its pledge to turn Pakistan into Riyasat e Madina, he added.
Responding to the speeches of legislators on the cut motions for education division, Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mehmood said separate private and public sector education emerged in the 1970s and 80s due to the class differences on the basis of income. Different types of education systems widened the class system in the society, he added. He said the government was making efforts to introduce similar educational curriculum with the cooperation of provincial governments and different stakeholders.
He said uniform curriculum for the primary level was ready and now textbooks would be prepared which could be published by different publishers. Legislation would be introduced to ensure uniform curriculum system in the country, he told. He said meetings were held with the madaris (Seminaries) to bring students of these institutions of religious learning into the mainstream. Students of madaris could appear in the examinations for matric and intermediate levels.
He said the government started teleschool in April besides online classes to continue studies of students during the coronavirus pandemic. His ministry held an inter ministerial meeting to facilitate students in getting online learning, he added. He assured that the decision of National Coordination Committee to pass the students of matric and intermediate levels would be implemented by further removing any legal hurdles.
