Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Dr Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari called upon the Defence Ministry once again on Friday to explain its position on the joint exercises of the Pakistani and Israeli forces in the United States.

Though Lieutenant General (Retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch, minister for states and frontier regions (SAFRON), said there was no truth in the reports about joint exercises of Pakistani and Israeli forces in the United States, Mazari asked the government on the floor of the National Assembly once again on Friday to come clean about these reports. She expressed serious reservations about the joint exercises of Pakistani and Israeli air forces in the United States because Pakistan never recognised Israel. She said the Defence Ministry should brief the House about the joint exercises and Pentagon’s decision to stop $ 300 million military aid to Pakistan under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF). “The defence minister should tell whether the reports about the joint exercises in the US are true. If they are true, then tell us why was Pakistan taking part in these exercises?” Mazari asked.

Sharing PTI lawmaker’s concerns, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Naveed Qamar said it was a serious issue and a report on it was published on the front page of a newspaper. He urged the government to explain its position on this issue in the House.

The National Assembly witnessed low attendance of both treasury and opposition lawmakers on Friday. The chairman of the Standing Committee on Water and Power presented the Periodical Report of the committee for the period July-December 2015. Before PTI lawmaker Arif Alvi pointed out quorum, Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi adjourned the session till 5 pm on Monday. During the Question Hour, the House was informed that the government was taking measures to increase industrial production. Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi said that measures included establishment of industrial parks and special economic zones where industrialists would be given a number of incentives. He said that a new automotive development policy had been launched to attract investment in the automobile industry.

Parliamentary Secretary for National Food Security Rajab Ali Baloch told the House that the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council had introduced several varieties of crops, including that of wheat, canola, sunflower and maize, to enhance agriculture yield. Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr Darshan told the House that the government was committed to putting the pharmaceutical sector on sound footing and ensuring quality of medicines. He said this year the government issued 525 licences to pharmaceutical companies to export drugs.

Responding to a Calling Attention Notice moved by Asiya Naz Tanoli and others, Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha told the House that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) took prompt action on telecast of indecent advertisements on private TV channels. He said there were clear PEMRA rules, which prohibited telecast of any such content by any channel.