Solangi asks political parties to evolve consensus on economic direction of country

ISLAMABAD (Online): Caretaker Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi has asked political parties to evolve consensus on economic direction of the country.

Responding to questions of Senators during Question Hour in the Senate Tuesday , he said by bringing changes in the economic situation, issues such as that of human trafficking could also be addressed. He emphasized that political parties should prioritize fundamental issues in the lead-up to the elections.

When the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs drew attention towards the wastage of water, the Chair directed to launch awareness campaigns including through the PTV for water conservation.

Taking the floor, Opposition Leader Shahzad Waseem said all the political parties should sit together to address the problems faced by the country.

He said the number one national priority should be continuity of policies and economic stability. He emphasized promoting tolerance in politics.

Responding to a Calling Attention Notice, Minister for National Health Services, Dr. Nadeem Jan regretted that the health sector was ignored in the past.

He said at present, one percent of GDP is being spent on the health sector.

Dr Nadeem Jan said we should advocate for enhancing it to at least two percent of the GDP in order to take the health sector towards some improvement.

The Minister expressed satisfaction over the increase in immunization against different diseases from fifty percent to seventy-seven percent across the country.

Later, the House was adjourned to meet again on Friday at 10:30 in the morning.

Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Tuesday said that the issue of human trafficking would remain an insurmountable menace unless the overall economic situation of the country was improved benefiting the downtrodden masses who risk their lives for pursuing better future abroad through illicit means.

The minister was responding to various queries raised by the Senators during the fourth meeting of the 334^th Session of the Senate held here under a limited presence of the members of the Upper House.

The questions pertaining to the government measures and their outcomes to curb the human of human trafficking were put to the floor by Senator Kamran Murtaza of Jamiaat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan (JUI-P), Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) and independent Senator Nuzhat Sadiq.

Solangi noted that the Senators had raised important points, whereas the solution lied in the fact that the country had to fix its economy. He said that the state as per its capacity, was taking measures but the issue demanded a holistic and national approach towards it.

“Unless the underlying issues are resolved, things will not improve. We are going into the election process, the senators, should pay attention to the basic issues; establish a plan and consensus on the economic direction of the country so that our children do not give their lives in different seas and deserts of the world,” Murtaza Solangi said.