Efforts underway to export country’s surplus wheat stock, NA told

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ISLAMABAD: National Food Security Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan told the National Assembly (NA) on Friday that surplus stock of wheat is available in the country and efforts are being made to export the commodity.

In this connection, Water Resources Minister Syed Javed Ali Shah informed the NA question/answer session that during the forthcoming Rabi season the country could face water shortage. He said that in light of this information it had been decided at the Indus River System Authority advisory committee that water shortages would be passed on to Punjab and Sindh provinces, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan would remain exempted from cuts in its water share.

On another question raised during the session, National Health Services Minister Saira Afzal Tarar said the Prime Minister’s National Health Programme was providing free of cost health services to the families living below poverty line. She said that over 1.3 million families have been enrolled in the health insurance scheme in 24 districts of the country, while adding that 2.8 million more families would be enrolled by the end of current financial year.

The House also adopted a motion to elect members for the standing committees on Ministries of Narcotics Control, Postal Services, Privatisation and Statistics. The motion was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmad. The next session of the House was adjourned till Monday (October 9).