‘Overseas Pakistanis could get representation in parliament’

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Sattar tells NA government considering proposals to give overseas Pakistanis right of franchise

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: The government is working on proposals to give representation to overseas Pakistanis in parliament, the National Assembly was told on Friday.

Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar said during the question hour that two proposals were being considered to “ensure representation for overseas Pakistanis in parliament”.

“Under the first proposal, they would be given the right of franchise, and under the second proposal, four seats would be reserved for them in the National Assembly with the aim to resolve their problems. Similarly, seats for overseas Pakistanis would be introduced in the provincial assemblies,” he said.

The Lower House was also told that a programme sponsored by parliamentarians for the electrification of villages in backward areas had been launched. Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf said funds had been released for two schemes under which 219 houses would be provided electricity in 13 villages of Dera Bugti in Balochistan and Jamshoro in Sindh.

Replying to a question, he said the government was working on a comprehensive plan to utilise all alternative energy resources. He said in view of the increasing demand for energy in the country, the government had undertaken a programme for the construction of large and small dams to generate inexpensive electricity.

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told the House that 70 percent internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Swat had returned home. He said ATM cards had been distributed among over 222,000 IDP families, and “they have withdrawn over Rs 5.7 billion from banks so far”. He said Pakistan received $656 million in aid for IDPs. Raja Pervez Ashraf said an agreement has been signed by Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to establish a regional power grid. He said that under the programme, Pakistan would receive 1,000 megawatts of electricity from Tajikistan.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg7_26