Sindh Senior Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon has said the entire world has realised the importance of Pakistan and its green passport after the country hosted negotiations between the United States and Iran.
He congratulated President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir on Islamabad Talks and said it demonstrated Pakistan’s relevance and India’s failure at the global diplomatic level. He added that Pakistan was the only Islamic nuclear power in the world and had also achieved success on the diplomatic front, due to which the Indian media had been feeling the heat.
Addressing a press conference at the Directorate of Social and Electronic Media Karachi on Monday, the information minister said an important meeting had been held under the chairmanship of President Asif Ali Zardari, in which all the four chief ministers participated.
He said the history of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) showed that it always worked for a better future of the people. Important data had been collected through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), based on which a large-scale housing project was being launched, under which houses would be provided to 2.1 million families, he said.
He mentioned that the Sindh government had introduced the Benazir Hari Card, whereas the BISP maintained comprehensive data on people living below the poverty line. He added that due to various reasons, wheat cultivation had been decreasing, so the Sindh government had announced the provision of DAP and urea sacks to farmers to encourage wheat cultivation.
Medicines were also being provided to farmers for wheat crops affected by the rain, and this year’s wheat production had been declared a bumper crop resulting in an abundance of wheat, he explained.
At present, wheat harvesting had begun with the Sindh government provided Rs1,500 per acre to more than 300,000 small farmers, Memon said. He claimed that Sindh was the only province that had provided direct financial assistance to farmers.
In the transport sector, he explained, the Sindh government was providing subsidies to passengers in both government and private transport so that fares were not increased and the public did not face difficulties. Around 6.5 million people in Sindh used motorcycles, and the government had announced providing Rs2,000 per person to motorcycle riders, he said, adding that funds would be distributed through the Sindh Bank and the procedure for applying for the subsidy would be published in newspapers.
Memon said that in the transport sector, subsidies were being provided to both inter-city and intra-city transport. The distribution of pink scooters had started in Karachi, and training programmes for girls had been launched across Sindh, he said.
He added that girls in Sukkur and Hyderabad had completed scooter riding training and obtained licences, after which the distribution of pink scooters would soon begin in Sukkur and Hyderabad.
New routes of the People’s Bus Service would also be launched soon, including routes from Shikarpur to Sukkur, Khairpur, and Hyderabad, he said. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Zardari had issued clear instructions that efforts should be made to provide relief to the people in every sector, Memon said.
Talking about the health sector, he said polio was a dangerous disease that could only be prevented through timely vaccination, which was why a comprehensive awareness campaign had been launched.
He urged the public to take this campaign beyond their homes and spread it through social media, friends and relatives so that every child could be protected from the crippling disease. In response to a question, he said the recent global developments had proved to be a major test for India as Pakistan’s positive diplomatic role was being appreciated worldwide.
He said Pakistan desired peace and was globally recognised as a peace-loving state that sought stability in the region. In response to another question, he said the federation, Sindh and Punjab were working together to effectively promote Pakistan’s positive image, and the Sindh government’s project Mera Lyari would be presented at a festivel in London.
To a question, Memon said fluctuations in oil prices were a reality of the global market, and the government had to make decisions according to the international situation. He explained that countries like Pakistan depended on imported oil, so the public should also act responsibly with an understanding of the global situation.
He asserted that fares would not be increased under any circumstances. Transporters and their associations were in contact with the provincial government, and unjustified fare increase would not be allowed, he said, adding that instructions had been issued to the commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure the implementation of fixed rates.
