ISLAMABAD: The government came under fire in the Senate Tuesday for its alleged failure in ensuring immunisation of polio drops, protection of polio vaccination and resurfacing of polio cases in the country, which was termed quite alarming.Moving a calling attention notice, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq of PML-N, ex-focal person of prime minister on polio eradication, said that the reason behind all this was the handpicking of a media strategist of ruling PTI, who ran their election campaign. Senator Ayesha pointed out that Babar bin Atta, the current Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio Eradication, knew nothing about the nature of his job, as he was a communication and media strategist of PTI, who got the job for running an effective media campaign for the party ahead of 2018 general election. She maintained, “I have served as focal person to the prime minister for five years, and I know reason and flaws due to which 17 cases of polio have resurfaced which is quite alarming for a country which did so well to eradicate the polio.” The PML-N senator said that the team of experts, who have been working for eradication of the polio in the country, were frustrated due to absence of capable team leader, and considering to quit their jobs, which will further complicate the issue. She wondered, “Why people from 12 districts have refused to take polio drops? Why 17 polio cases have surfaced…what is the reason and why the government is acting as a silent spectator that why all this happening? It’s a complete failure of people at the helm of affairs”. Responding to her notice, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs M Azam Swati said the govt was as committed as anybody else and added the focal person to the prime minister on polio eradication was doing as good as his predecessor. “I completely reject Senator Ayesha’s claim that the polio programme has fallen apart, as there is no truth whosoever and the government is making all out efforts to overcome the challenges,” he maintained.PPP Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman expressed concern over Pakistan’s ‘current economic quagmire’ and the prevailing uncertainty. Speaking on an admitted adjournment motion, she said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was heading for a historic Rs450b shortfall. The brutal inflation has dragged 4 million people under the poverty line, she noted. She exclaimed that the promise of naya Pakistan was not an increase of 80 per cent in the gas prices or naan that costs Rs12, while Banigala got regularised but the poor were on the footpath with their livelihoods ruined. “On top of this, we are still unclear over the terms of the IMF negotiations. The terms are not being brought to the Finance Committee. Why is this important matter not being discussed in parliament,” she questioned. Senator Sherry said that the PTI had been atop the container throughout, therefore, now when they were in power, there was a real disconnect between their policies and the mammoth challenges on ground. “During the container days, it was promised that corruption will stop and thieves will be brought to justice, which we all supported, but corruption is still prevalent from the BRT to the Billion Tree Tsunami, it still exists,” she said.Instead of ushering in a ‘tsunami’ of progressive changes, she added, it has become increasingly clear that PTI’s tsunami is one of unprecedented economic disaster after another. Responding to the motion, state minister for revenue Hammad Azhar said that present account deficit decreased by 44 percent in the tenure of PTI government. He added that the federal government didn’t need to artificially manage the value of rupee, as it was making efforts to boost exports. He said that government had formulated new guidelines to cease transactions by benami accounts. He said that the government authorities inherited Rs423 billion deficit in public sector and added that they launched reforms to revive nation’s financial system.The House adopted a report of the Functional Committee of the Senate, headed by Senator Usman Kakar on its visit to Chitral, Kalash and Peshawar. Speaking on the occasion Senator Kakar said that the government should pay special attention towards the issues faced by the people of Chitral. He said that people of the area who are concerned about their language especially as well as the Kalash culture, needed help from the government. He said that the people of Kalash should be given packages as roads leading to Kalash valley are in dilapidated condition due to floods and earthquakes during the last three years. He added that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which was supposed to restore the roads, had done nothing, due to which tourists traveling to picturesque valley are facing great hardships.Senator Kakar pointed out that the people of Chitral had serious reservations about the results of 2017 census as lowest growth rate was recorded in the area – the largest district of the province – whose population was recorded 0.5 million. Senator Samina Saeed of PTI said that if the people of Kalash were facing threats, it was from the local hardliners, who were bent upon to convert them under one pretext or another. She said that no government in the past paid any heed to the plights of Kalash except the incumbent government. She said that for the first time in history of the country, the KP provincial government elected the same Kalash MPA Wazirzada as the chairman of the District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) of Chitral. She also lauded the services of Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) for the uplift of the backward district, saying the work done by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan in education, health, and rural development is commendable.
from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2DENwZg
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