News
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
PM announces ‘revolving fund’ to deal with terror damageStaff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Tuesday, announced to set up a revolving fund for rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by terrorist attacks as well as a fund for the families of victims of terrorism.
Speaking in the National Assembly while responding to points of order raised by Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and MQM legislatures, Gilani said that government has already established two different funds for the victims of terrorism. He elaborated that a Shuhda Fund is already taking care of martyrs of security forces, who lost their lives in the war against terror. The seed money has already been provided for it.
Besides, government has also established a fund to support the families of journalists who fell prey to terror acts in the country. The prime minister said that markets, schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations are soft targets of terrorists. He said the government accorded high priority to the rebuilding of destroyed schools. He informed the House that financial assistance from Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FODP) and World Bank is being spent on reconstruction and rehabilitation of schools on a priority basis.
Gilani said that whole the country is collectively fighting the war on terrorism and there was no doubt about it. About the law and order situation in Karachi, which triggered a walk out by MQM members during the budget session, the premier said that he has sought a report from the provincial authorities of Sindh. “I discussed the issue with Sindh governor and chief minister” he informed the House. However, he stated that law and order is a provincial subject and the federal government could not intervene directly in it. He condemned the incidents of target killing in Karachi and said that we are all fighting the target killings, terrorism and extremism collectively.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk