The government borrowed Rs 538 billion from domestic banks during the period from September 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh informed the National Assembly on Monday. “The amount of public debt borrowed/obtained by the government from local national banks/institutions during the period from September 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 was Rs 538.3 billion,” the finance minister told the House in a written reply.
He said of the borrowed amount, public debt instruments worth Rs 391 billion were issued as part of exercise of consolidation of outstanding power sector debt as well as pending unpaid subsidy on commodity operations in November 2011. “The payable amount of interest on domestic loan was Rs 67.3 billion,” he further said. Federal Minister for Textile Makhdum Shahabuddin told the National Assembly that Pakistan’s borrowing from foreign countries and institutions had crossed the limit of $63 billion. The House was told by Interior Minister Rehman Malik that as many as 2,125 people were killed in targeted killings in Sindh in the last two years (2010 and 2011).
He said 1,271 people were killed and 2,828 injured in incidents of targeted killing during the last four years in Balochistan (2008 to 2011).
During the question-hour session, Malik told the House that the spree of targeted killing had not ended in the province, but it had been controlled to some extent.
Giving details of those killed in targeted attacks, the interior minister said during the last four years, 191 police personnel, 199 Frontier Constabulary officials, 615 civilian (settlers and others), 15 teachers and 252 people affiliated with religious parties were killed.
Malik said, “In Balochistan targeted killings seem to have been adopted as the foremost instrument of terrorism more recently. It marks a change of tactics. The terror incidents seem to have been carried out more for harassment than causing causalities, consequently, there were bomb blasts on unfrequented roads and streets and rockets landing in open areas or wilderness causing little causalities. The new tactic has not only increased substantially the casualties figure, it has added to insecurity among the targeted groups.”
He said in the last six months, there was a gradual decrease in targeted and sectarian killings and this was due to the government’s initiatives for improvement of law and order in the province.
