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PR.No.1 Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has taken a very strong notice of the unfortunate incident in which a girl student of a medical college Ms. Saima Faiz was abducted and subjected to assault by four persons in Rawalpindi in February. The Prime Minister asked the concerned provincial government and relevant officials to ensure that all the culprits are arrested and brought to book. He asked that stern action be taken so that such incident could not be repeated any where in the country. The Prime Minister expressed his concern after Mrs. Farzana Raja presented her report to him, here at the Prime Minister’s House today after visiting the victim Ms. Saima Faiz and her parents in Kotli Azad Kashmir two days earlier. The Prime Minister after viewing a special report on a private television channel about the incident had specially sent Mrs. Farzana Raja, MNA as his envoy to visit the victim and console her. He also asked her to find the facts and give him a report on the unfortunate incident. Mrs. Farzana Raja informed the Prime Minister that after her visit to the house of the victim and the affected family, two culprits have been arrested while the fourth culprit is still at large. The main culprit she mentioned was arrested earlier and is presently in police custody. She also apprised the Prime Minister about her findings after looking at all the details. She appreciated the Prime Minister for his concern over the brutal act and informed him that she had conveyed his sympathy with the girl as well as her parents. She further said that she assured the affected family that the government would extend every possible support for their protection and ensure that justice in done. DSG/AR.
PR.No.2. Pakistan seeks China’s support for he construction of housing projects for low-paid government employees as government has planned to raise one million houses per annum in the country. Federal Minister for Housing and Works Rehmatullah Kakar expressed these views in a meeting with Chinese 3-member delegation, which called on him headed by its Ambassador Mr. Luo Zhaohui here on Thursday. The Minister said Pakistan needs financial support of China government directly for the housing projects and added Pak-China Investment Company has already been established last year in June, which will also invest in our construction industry. Chinese individual construction companies will also be involved for the purpose. He said that the Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) is also working on a plan to construct 37,000 housing units for federal government employees of Grade 1-16 and Grade 17-22 on the pattern of Army Welfare Trust, which would be given to them on ownership basis after retirement. He said that foreign construction companies including China have, so far, conveyed their expressions of interests to Pakistan to participate in the housing mega scheme where conventional as well as modern techniques of construction would be applied. The minister said besides meeting the growing demand of housing units, the mega scheme would also provide job opportunities to thousands of people causing alleviation in poverty in the country. The ambassador said China will extend all possible help to Pakistan for its mega projects regarding construction of housing units and will provide preferential credit on soft interest. MA/AR.
PR.No.3. Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that Eighty Thousand houses and flats would be constructed for industrial workers, which will be allotted to them with ownership basis. Addressing the May day function held here on Thursday at Convention Center Islamabad organized by CDA Employees Federation, The Minister announced a labour welfare package under which number of initiatives would be taken soon. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shery Rehman, Senator Dr. Akbar Khawaja, Secretary Labour & Manpower Division Malik Asif Hayat, ex-MNA Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, ex-MNA Chaudhry Manzoor Hussain, Dr. Israr Ahmed, Qazi Sultan Mehmood, Amanullah Khan, Secretary General CDA Employees Federation, Malik Sher Ahmed, President People’s Labour Bureau Punjab, Zafrullah Niazi, Chairman Pakistan Workers Federation Northern Punjab and many prominent labour leaders of various organization were also present in the function. Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah announced that the government has decided to repeal the IRO 2002 ordinance and would restore the relevant clauses of IRO 1969 to create conformity for friendly industrial relations. He said that tripartite conference would be convened soon. He said all labour laws would be modified according to the ratified ILO conventions to ensure safeguard to the interest of workers in country. The Minister also announced the increase in minimum pension from Rs.1500 to 2000, which will be effective from July 2008. He said that law for increasing minimum wages from Rs.4600 to Rs.6000 is being finalized for approval. He said workers profit funds which was paid Rs.18400 to a worker in a year has been enhanced to Rs.24000. He said that marriage grant to the daughter of each worker would be given positively. Syed Khursheed said that government would set up hospital in every city for providing medical facilities to the industrial workers. However, schools would be established in those districts where large of number of workers are living. He said all the high school being run under the worker welfare fund would be up graded to the level of higher secondary school. He said that a strategy is being developed under which maximum number of workers could be covered under social security and old age pension. He said that maintenance allowance ratio is enhanced from 50% to 100% during suspension of an employee in industrial establishments. The minister said that government is also actively working to repeal the section 27 / 2-B under which a ban on banking unions was imposed. He said that a special committee has already been formed in this regard. He said those laws which are against the interest of works would be reviewed and amended in future. TH/AR.
PR.No.4. Federal Minister for Environment Hameed ullah Jan Afridi has strongly condemned the suicide bomb blast in Tesil Bara of the Khyber Agency in which reportedly 13 people were injured. The Minister has expressed profound grief and sorrow over the incident. Showing his sympathies with the victims of the blast, the minister prayed to Almighty Allah for their early recovery from injuries. The Minister said that no body would be allowed to disturb law and order situation in the tribal areas and those responsible for the incident would be taken to task. DKK/AR.
PR.No.5. Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has said that no integrated and concrete efforts were made in the past for the welfare and prosperity of workers in the country. Addressing a public meeting in Rawal Town, in Rawalpindi on the occasion of May Day, Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that economic situation in the country is not so satisfactory however integrated efforts would be made by the present government for the betterment and prosperity of workers, labourers and toiling masses. Paying tributes to the Workers and labourers, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that workers play a pivotal role in the development of the national economy. He also paid tributes to the Chicago workers. He appealed to the media to play its due role and work for the welfare of workers and labourers and toiling masses. Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that labour leaderS should always meet him for the redressal of their grievances. The Federal Minister said that promotion of democracy is imperative for the integrity, solidarity and stability of the country. He said that it is a welcome sign that two major parties of the country are jointly working for the cause of democracy and stability of the country. He paid tributes to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for her services rendered for the cause of democracy. Other speakers also addressed the public meeting. Later on the Federal Minister led a rally on this occasion and expressed solidarity with the workers and labourers. FK/AR.
PR.No.6. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the new democratic set up believes in the freedom of media and every possible effort would be made to ensure free flow of information to the masses through print and electronic media. The Prime Minister said this while talking to Ms. Sherry Rehman, Minister for Information and Broadcasting who called on him here at the Prime Minister’s House this afternoon. The Prime Minister discussed the matters related to the media and the wage board award with the Minister for Information and Broadcasting. The matters pertaining to establishing journalist victim fund also came under discussion. Ms. Sherry Rehman, Minister for Information and Broadcasting updated the Prime Minister regarding the working of his Ministry and the steps taken so far to ensure freedom of media and efforts made to facilitate the journalists to perform their professional assignments. DSG/ank
PR.No.7 The Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Miss Nirmala Deshpande, an icon of the peace movement and a member of the Rajya Sabha of India who breathed her last in India today. In his condolence message to the family of the deceased, the Prime Minister praised the noble role played by her for the peace movement for over 25 years, particularly to help improve relations between India and Pakistan. She was recognised and respected, he said, for her contribution to the cause of peace in the region. Her services, he added, would long be remembered by the peace loving people on both sides of the border. The Prime Minister prayed that her soul may rest in peace and the members of the bereaved family be granted fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. In order to pay respects to the late Miss Nirmala Deshpande, the Prime Minister has specially nominated Ms. Sherry Rehman, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, to represent the Government of Pakistan at her funeral in New Delhi on Friday. DSG/ank
PR.No.8 The Federal Minister for Health Ms Sherry Rehman has ordered an immediate inquiry into the failure of the Prime Minister’s Programme for the Control and Prevention of Hepatitis. According to reports, the ambitious Rs 2.5bn programme launched in the year 2005 has failed to reach a large part of the infected population. “The failure of this important programme is a very negative signal,” said the Federal Minister for Health. She noted that rather than the lack of funding, the Programme’s failure was reportedly the result of ill planning and execution, and extremely low outreach. The Minister said that she was shocked to learn that the programme reached only a fraction of the 7.5 million people affected by Hepatitis C. “This is unacceptable and we will ensure that the reasons behind the Programme’s failure are properly investigated and brought to light. Unfortunately, this is one of the many programmes that was started on an ambitious note but derailed in the middle.” Rehman said that the five-year long Programme for the Control and Prevention of Hepatitis was aimed at providing subsidized treatment drastically reducing the overall cost of treatment of the viral disease. “Considering the fact that around three to four percent of the population is infected with Hepatitis B and five to six percent is infected with Hepatitis C, there was a need for an aggressive approach to expand the outreach of the Programme and ensure that the bottlenecks are done away with so that the overall rate of infection could be brought down. It is highly disturbing to note that three years into the programme and merely 34,000 Hepatitis-C patients have been registered across the country, of which over 10,000 patients are yet to receive treatment.” The Health Minister said that her government is committed to ensuring the provision of basic healthcare facilities to all citizens. “We will ensure that all the ongoing healthcare programmes are properly pursued so that they could meet their designated targets. All our future endeavors in the field of health will be monitored and efficiently supervised. We are hopeful that the investigation into the failure of the Hepatitis Programme will help prevent such failures in the future too.” The Minister added: “I am also shocked at the absence of a health policy for a country like Pakistan, where no social nets exist for the vulnerable. A task force of stakeholders has been immediately instituted to look into the absence of planning and commitment to the provision of essential health services to the nation. We expect all the provinces to assist in making the government’s vision of a national health service possible in five years.” Enam Wazir/ank
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