Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A legislative body of the Lower House on Thursday directed the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage; Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony; and the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to sit together and come up with a workable solution, which would ensure the stoppage of desecration of verses from the Holy Quran, which were printed in the newspapers.

The directives were issued by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurances, which met on Thursday at the Parliament House, with MNA Muhammad Afzal Khokhar in the chair.

Information Secretary Saba Mohsin briefed the committee on the issue and stated that the ministry, in compliance with the committee’s directives, had already wrote letters to presidents of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) and the Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA) chairman, requesting the media bodies to help the government achieve this objective.

The religious affairs secretary informed the committee that the ministry was already proactively writing to all those concerned to play their role in this regard. It was suggested to the committee that a notice be published in all newspapers, telling the public to take proper care of the holy verses printed within. The committee directed that Information Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry and the CII to hold a meeting with the representatives of the APNS, PBA and the CPNE – besides other stakeholders – and come up with a workable solution to the issue within 30 days.

Meanwhile, the committee considered the assurance – given by the minister of state for health services, regulation and coordination on the floor of the House – that no negligence would be shown in the elimination of unmonitored blood banks in Islamabad.

The committee was brief by senior officials of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination that in compliance with the committee, the government had established the Islamabad Blood Transfusion Authority (IBTA) that was responsible for regulating blood banks and ensuring quality blood transfusion. The committee disposed of the agenda item, as the compliance was made in letters and spirit.

The committee also took assurance given by minister for textile industry that any sort of obstacle in the expansion of exports would be removed.

The committee took serious notice of the fact that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) did not pay refund claims to exporters despite the government’s announcement. The committee directed the authorities at the Ministry of Finance and the FBR to give details of the exporters, along with the outstanding amounts, and the reasons thereof.

The committee also considered the assurance given by State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali. Senior officials of the Ministry of Water and Power and the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) chief executive officer (CEO) informed the committee that its orders had already been complied with. So, the committee disposed of the agenda item.

The committee also considered the assurance given by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar about the establishment of a branch of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) in Zafarwal. The committee was informed that the branch of the bank had been established in time, and that it was fully functional.