ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) was informed on Thursday that an estimated six hundred thousand cases of Polio related paralysis and death have been prevented in the country due to consistent efforts of the government.
Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Farhana Qamar told the house that Polio eradication is being tackled as a National Public Health emergency by a task force led by the prime minister.
The Parliamentary Secretary said the number of polio cases has steadily declined from highs of 306 in 2014 to just eight last year while no polio case has been reported during the current year.
Minister of Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani informed the house that progress on Housing schemes in Bhara Kahu and Thallian in Islamabad is held up due to interventions by courts, NAB and Public Accounts Committee.
Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf told the house that intending Hajj pilgrims are airlifted on a fifty-fifty basis by PIA and Saudi Airlines under an agreement.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Shirin Mazari drew the attention of the house towards a motion moved by the United States at the Financial Action Task Force to keep Pakistan on the watch list of the countries financing terrorism.
Syed Naveed Qamar, who was chairing the session at that time, asked the government to brief the house tomorrow on this important issue. He said the country would be in deep trouble once it is placed on the said watch list.
At the instance of the Speaker, the house observed one-minute silence in memory of seventeen children killed in the United States.
The Speaker said terrorism and violence against children anywhere in the world was regrettable and painful.
