Parliamentary Secretary of Petroleum Engineer Tariq Khatak on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that laying of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline on the Pakistani side was delayed due to US pressure and the volatile law and order in Balochistan.
“Iran has completed a 900-kilometre stretch of the pipeline of the total 1,220 kilometre. However the work on the Pakistani side was delayed due to US pressure,” he said while responding a supplementary question during the NA question hour.
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Azeem Doultana said that of 39 airplanes in use by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), 23 were old. Responding to a question in the House, the parliamentary secretary said PIA had formulated a three-year plan according to which six new airplanes would be included, while the 23 old ones would be repaired within a year.
To a supplementary question, Doultana said a special division was established in PIA to bring improvement in the cabin, as a number of complaints were being received about mismanagement. To another question regarding incident of tyre burst at Lahore Airport on Wednesday, he said the tyres were changed on time, however, the plane touched the ground very hard, forcing the tyre to bust.
He further informed the House that the financial losses suffered by PIA on account of cancellation of flights due to strikes and protests in PIAC last year was Rs 78.19 million and the said cost did not include goodwill losses.
To a supplementary question regarding union offices, he said the management was looking into the possibility of closing down union offices in operational areas.
He told the House that the accumulated losses of PIA stood at Rs 1,11.543 billion on September 30, 2011. To another question relating to the minister of defence, he said it was not in his knowledge if Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar during had paid $20,000 a rent for a limousine.
To another question regarding salaries of PIA deputy managing directors, he said the salaries if compared with international airlines were at a lower level. He said issues of PIA could not be solved with deduction in salaries.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Human Rights Mustafa Nawaz Khokar said a total 12,580 people were murdered in Pakistan in 2010. Punjab topped the list with 6,242 killings, followed by Sindh with 3,289 KP with 2,501 and Balochistan with 548 people killed.
In rape cases, Punjab topped the list with 2,581 cases, Sindh followed with 289 and Balochistan with 33. No rape case was reported in KP.
To a supplementary question regarding damaging a hospital building during a military operation in Miran Shah, Khokar said the building was safe, however, the doors and windows were damaged.
In a written reply, Minister for Law Maula Bakhsh Chandio told the House that of 81,213,620 voters appearing on the existing electoral rolls prepared in 2007, NADRA had declared 37,186,053 voters unverified after comparing the same with their citizens database of CNIC holders.
