50000 new Utility Stores to provide essential food items at affordable prices: NA told

50000 new Utility Stores to provide essential food items at affordable prices, Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed told the National Assembly on Friday.

He informed the legislature, while tesponding to a question in the National Assembly during “Question Hour.”

50000 new Utility Stores

He said the government would set up 50, 000 new Utility Stores across country to provide essential food items to the people at affordable prices.

Moreover, the minister said youth can also apply for loan to set up Utility Stores under Kamyab Jawan Programme.

He said the government is taking all necessary measures to control unnecessary increase in the prices of edible and common use items so that the common many may not face undue inflationary pressure.

He said inflation has declined from 14.6 percent in January this year to 8.6 percent in June this year due to proactive policy and administrative measures of the government.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce Aliya Hamza said the government has taken several steps to increase exports.

Replying to another question,  she said trade between Norway and Pakistan is picking gradually and the balance is in favour of Pakistan.

She further said that trade volume between Pakistan and Qatar has been on the rise and has tilted in favour of Pakistan over the past five years.

Aliya Hamza said Qatar remained the top export destination of Pakistan showing growth of 36 percent in last fiscal year.

Zarai Taraqiati Bank

Answering a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Zain Qureshi said Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited has set up a network of 482 agriculture lending branches to advance loans to small farmers.

Besides,  it is granting loans to eligible farmers.

He said ZTBL is the equal opportunity provider for loans to all eligible farmers all over the country and no one farmer of any district is ignored without any business justification.

He said the Bank of Khyber is also extending loans to farmers of the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Zain Qureshi further said ZTBL network will also be extended to these areas once land record is compiled there.

Kulbhushan Jadhav

Meanwhile, Federal Minister Farogh Naseem says that being a responsible state Pakistan has promulgated an Ordinance to give effect to International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment in Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

He said the ICJ, in its judgment, had asked Pakistan for effective review and reconsideration of the sentence of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav announced by the Military Court of Pakistan on charges of espionage.

He said it is obligatory for Pakistan to comply with the ICJ judgment; otherwise India can move UN Security Council to get imposed sanctions against Pakistan.

The minister said the Ordinance does not call for setting aside the decision of the Military Court and it is only aimed at complying with the ICJ judgment.

He stressed that the Ordinance should be passed by the Parliament to make it law as it is neither an NRO, appeal nor a personal specific legislation.

It is also applicable for any such situation in future giving the right to a person guilty of espionage to file an appeal in the Islamabad High Court for effective review instead of taking the matter to ICJ.

The House will now meet again on Monday at 4 pm.

GTV