ISLAMABAD:Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has called for a firm action against those involved in sending the people abroad illegally. Speaking in the National Assembly on Monday, he expressed deep grief and sorrow over the deaths of Pakistani migrants in a boat incident near the coast of Greece. Khawaja Asif said the government and the opposition parties should work collectively to initiate a stern action against these human traffickers and this illegal movement must stop.
He said some people have been arrested in the country, but their nexus also exists in other different countries as well. The Defence Minister said the nation is observing a day of mourning today (Monday) to express solidarity with the bereaved families of boat tragedy. The Chair, in his remarks, said that the Greece Boat tragedy has aggrieved the entire nation. He said the government must take action against the human traffickers and stressed that the people should also be educated about the hazards of illegal immigration.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the need for political parties to sign a Charter of Economy to steer the country out of economic challenges. He pointed out that the quagmire this time is bigger than the one witnessed back in 1998-99. The Finance Minister said the decline in the economy has been stopped, but now we have to take the economy towards a positive trajectory. As regards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood affected areas, the Finance Minister said the floods in 2022 inflicted a massive loss of thirty billion dollars on the national economy.
He said about 16.3 billion dollars are required for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of physical infrastructure in the flood-affected areas. The Minister said a meeting was held with the senior leaders of PPP on Friday wherein a comprehensive roadmap has largely been prepared for the reconstruction phase. He said another meeting will be held today to give final touches to this roadmap. The Finance Minister recalled that during the rescue and relief phase, the federal government disbursed twenty five thousand rupees each amongst the flood affected families.
The House also continued discussion on the budget for the year 2023-24. Shahnaz Salim said the government has presented a balanced budget in the face of difficult economic situation. She said reduction in the prices of petroleum products has provided relief to the people. Nafeesa Shah said political stability is a must to ensure economic stability in the country. She emphasized for the economy of charter to steer the country in the right direction.
As regards the budget, she said it envisages incentives for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) and the IT sector while a raise in salaries has been given to the employees. Earlier, at the outset, the House offered fateha for the departed souls of Pakistani migrants died in a boat incident near the coast of Greece as well as those who died in other accidents in the country.
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