Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday passed “The Hindu Marriage Bill, 2016”. Moved by Law Minister Zahid Hamid, the bill provides for solemnisation of marriages by Hindu families.

The minister said the bill will institutionalise marriages of the Hindu community. He said there was no documentation previously in this regard. He pointed out that the bill has full backing of the Hindu community, members of the National Assembly and other forums concerned.

During question hour, State Minister Balighur Rehman said there were three rehabilitation centres running under supervision of Anti-Narcotics Force in Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi. He said the number of drug addicts in the country was in millions. He pointed out that these centres have treated 3,408 patients during the last three years. Another centre of this kind was also being established in Peshawar this year. He said major hospitals in the country had committed to establish a separate ward for treatment of drug addicts.

To a question, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch informed the House that the FATA Development Authority was taking steps to promote industrial sector in FATA. He said marble city in Mohmand Agency, with a capacity to accommodate about 290 industrial units, was in the completion stage and is being included in the CPEC. He said two industrial estates were being established in FR Kohat and North Waziristan Agency.

To a question, Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb informed the House that PEMRA had issued 3,994 Cable TV licences across the country. She said that the authority had taken action against 112 illegal cable TV networks during the past six months.

To another question, she said restructuring and human resource audit of five departments of her ministry were being carried out and the process would be completed in April. The departments include PID, PTV, Cyber Wing, Information Service Academy and Institute of Regional Studies. She said Pakistan National Council of the Arts had increased its activities to promote art and culture.

Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Nuzhat Sadiq presented a report on the mid-year review of budget of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Three more bills were also presented. They are “The Companies Bill, 2017”, “The Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2017” and “The National Commission on the Rights of the Child Bill, 2017”. The chair referred these bills to committees concerned for further deliberation.