News
Thursday, May 20, 2010
‘Six Foreign Ministry officials found corrupt in last five years’
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Wednesday that six officials of the Foreign Ministry and its attached departments were found involved in corruption and misappropriation of funds during the last five years.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the House in a written reply that Shafqat Ali Cheema, Dr Naeem Ahmed, GR Baloch, Muhammad Naeem, M Alam Barohi, Faisal Abro, and Ms Saqlain Syedah were involved in cases ranging from issuance of passports to unauthorised people to false claims of TA/DA and holding of dual passports.
The House was further informed that the government was working on the Lady Health Workers’ Programme to ensure provision of basic treatment facilities to women and children at their doorstep.
Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin informed the Senate in a written reply during the question hour that presently, 110,000 lady health workers were working across the country, while another 10,000 would be recruited next year. He added that an additional 10,000 health workers would be appointed by 2014.
To a question, the health minister said various donor agencies provided about $260 million for various health programmes during the last three years and the amount was spent on National AIDS Programme, Nutrition Wing, Malaria control, MNCH Programme, TB control and EPI programmes.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ammad Ahmad Khan informed the House that 59 Pakistani prisoners were freed from Indian jails last year, while Pakistan freed 102 Indian prisoners in the same period. Minister for Special Initiatives Lal Muhammad Khan told the Senate that under the Clean Drinking Water Programme, 6,626 water filtration plants would be installed across the country at the union council level.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk