708,724 foreign tourists came to Pakistan in 2008-09, NA told

[LahoreEstate]

* Education minister says government may include disaster management in curriculum

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that a total of 708,724 foreign tourists visited Pakistan during the year 2008-09.

In a written statement, Minister for Tourism Attaur Rehman informed the House that foreign exchange earned through tourists during 2008-09 amounted to $222.1 million.

Rehman said the Tourism Ministry had signed tourism agreements with Afghanistan, China and Iran to promote the industry.

The House was further informed that the implementation of a new educational curriculum developed under the new scheme of studies would start in the upcoming academic session staring in April 2010, under which environmental studies would be introduced as an elective subject.

To a question, Minister of State for Education Ghulam Farid Kathia said that according to the National Scheme of Studies 2006, environmental studies had been included in the Humanities group at the secondary level and the curriculum for the subject had also been notified.

He said the ministry had also trained a number of teachers in the subject, adding that the training process would continue to maintain the interest of both students and teachers.

The minister said the government might also include disaster management in the curriculum in the scheme’s second phase.

Minister for Industries Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani informed the National Assembly during the question hour that there was no shortage of sugar in the country. He said the reason behind the recent sugar crisis was due to hoarding by traders in anticipation of price hike in the international market.

He said the government was providing essential daily use items on subsidized rates through the Utility Stores Corporation

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