1 (10Th Session) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SECRETARIAT
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1 (10th Session) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SECRETARIAT ————— “QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWERS AND THEIR REPLIES” to be asked at a sitting of the National Assembly to be held on Monday, the 24th March, 2014 (Originally Starred Question Nos. 51, 65, 66, 70, 77, 150 and 165 were set down for answer during the 9th Session) 51. *Dr. Mahreen Razaque Bhutto: Will the Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the Ministry has database of all the students going abroad for higher studies; if not, the reasons thereof; (b) if so, the year-wise total number of students returned from abroad during the last five years? Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education: (a) Yes, Higher Education Commission (HEC) is maintaining the proper database of all the scholars sent abroad by HEC for higher studies. (b) The year-wise total number of students returned from aboard during the last five years are as under: Year Students Returned 2009 581 2010 642 2011 686 2012 468 2013 322 2014 17 Total 2716 2 3 65. *Sheikh Salahuddin: Will the Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat be pleased to state: (a) whether there is any proposal under consideration of the Government to reduce certain categories of employees of the public sector through the process of attrition; if so, the details thereof; and (b) whether it is a fact that a benchmark has been fixed for such reduction of employees; if so, the details thereof? Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat: (a) At the moment no proposal for reduction of certain categories of employees of the Federal Government’s Ministries/Divisions/ Departments, offices, etc., through the process of attrition, has been assigned to the Establishment Division by the Government. (b) Therefore, fixing of benchmarks in connection with the above is not under consideration by the Establishment Division. 66. *Mrs. Shahida Rehmani: Will the Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education be pleased to state: (a) the steps being taken by the Government for improvement of higher education; (b) the number of scholarships granted for higher education during the current year alongwith the criteria adopted therefor; and (c) the year-wise number of students sent abroad for education during the last three years till date? Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education: (a) The critical steps taken by the Government of Pakistan for the improvement of higher education are attached at Annex-A. 4 (b) A total of one thousand and thirty two (1032) scholarship (419 Overseas and 613 local scholarships) were awarded by the Higher Education Commission during the current financial year. The criteria of the selection is attached at Annex-B. (c) The year-wise number of students sent abroad for during the last three years till date are as under: Year Number of scholars 2013-14 419 2012-13 646 2011-12 483 Total 1548 (Annexures have been placed in the National Assembly Library) 70. *Dr. Nafisa Shah: Will the Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education be pleased to state: (a) the present status of the National Internship Programme; and (b) whether there is any proposal under consideration of the Government for promoting youth employment? Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education: (a) National Internship Program (NIP) was started in February 2007 for the benefit of unemployed educated youth all over the country. Consequent to the devolution exercise, National Internship Programme has been restricted to Federal Regions only w.e.f. 1st, July 2011 (i.e. ICT, FATA, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan). Placement of interns under the NIP-2012 (Phase-V) has been completed. In all more than 3000 eligible applicants have been placed in the federal regions by 31st December, 2013. The NIP 2013 (Phase-VI) is currently on hold as it was considered to be merged with PM’s Youth Training Programme announced in the budget speech for financial year 2013-14. The formal approval for PM’s Youth Training Programme is awaited. The future of NIP is thus on hold being part of PM’s Youth Training Programme. 5 (b) The current government has announced six programmes for promoting youth employment: 1. PM’s Youth Business Loans Scheme. 2. PM’s Interest Free Loans. 3. PM’s Fee re-imbursement Scheme. 4. PM’s Lap Top Scheme 5. PM’s Youth Skills Development. 6. PM’s Youth Training Programme. 77. *Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub: Will the Minister for Education, Training and Standards in Higher Education be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the Allama lqbal Open University was one of the top 20 Universities in the HEC ranking till 2010; (b) whether it is also a fact that the said University has been excluded therefrom; if so, the reasons thereof; and (c) whether it is further a fact that the number of students of the said University has decreased; if so the reasons thereof? Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education: (a) Higher Education Commission (HEC) has not published any University Ranking List of Universities prior to 2010, therefore, it cannot be said that Allama Iqbal Open University was one of the top 20 universities till 2010. (b) Yes, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad has been excluded from the University Ranking List HEC published in 2010, as universities imparting distance learning education were excluded from the aforementioned ranking. (c) No, the number of students of AIOU has not been decreased rather it has been increasing in each semester. 6 150. *Shaikh Rohale Asghar: Will the Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat be pleased to state: (a) whether there is any proposal under consideration of the Government to construct new airports in the country; (b) if so, when it will be implemented alongwith the locations thereof? Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat: (a) & (b) Proposal for the construction of new airports in the country is not under consideration of the Government. 165. *Mian Javid Latif: Will the Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the powers of contempt of Court have not been conferred upon the Federal Service Tribunal; if so, the reasons thereof; and (b) the time by which the said powers will be conferred upon the said Tribunal? Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat: (a) The Service Tribunals Act, 1973, does not contain such provision. (b) A Bill titled “The Service Tribunals (Amendment) Act, 2013” has been laid in the National Assembly on 30th August, 2013. Besides other amendments, an amendment in Section 5 of Service Tribunals Act. 1973 has been suggested by insertion of a new sub-section (3), which is as follows: “(3) A Tribunal shall have the power to execute its decision as may be prescribed.” 7 1. *Begum Tahira Bukhari: Will the Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat be pleased to state whether there is any proposal under consideration of the Government to construct new Airport Terminal Buildings in the country in the near future; if so, when it will be implemented alongwith the locations thereof? Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat: New Terminal Buildings have been planned for construction at the following location:— (a) Multan International Airport (completed). (b) Islamabad International Airport Fateh Jhang (under construction). (c) Gwadar International Airport (Planned). (d) Thar Airport (Methi) (Planned). (e) Peshawar & Quetta being planned subject to avail of fund and land. @2. *Begum Tahira Bukhari: Will the Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat be pleased to state whether there any proposal under consideration of the Government to unblock the Youtube in the country; if so, when i will be implemented? Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat: • Blasphemous movie “Innocence of Muslims” was uploaded on Youtube in September 2012, the Government of Pakistan (GoP) has taken stringent measures to demand its removal and limit its access on the internet in Pakistan. • The videos stirred violent protests and public outcry in Pakistan and across the world. Ministry of IT approached management of Google and Facebook on 13 Sep 2012. In response Google refused to block the blasphemous movie links/ URLs in the absence of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. However, management of Facebook agreed to block secured website links. —————————————————————————————— @ Transferred from Information Technology and Telecommunications Division. 8 • The Honorable Supreme Court ordered in constitution Petition No 104 of 2012 to block offending material on YouTube website or any other website. • However, there is no technical solution which can block 100% objectionable material on the internet. • PTA has taken a number of steps to proactively search for objectionable material. • So far, 31,819 objectionable links have been blocked. 3. *Ms. Nighat Parveen Mir: Will the Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat be pleased to state whether it is a fact that the financial assistance is being provided to small businessmen in the country under the financial rehabilitation programme of the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mall; if so, the details thereof? Reply not received. 4. *Ms. Khalida Mansoor: Will the Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat be pleased to state: (a) the number of private airlines operating in the country at present; and (b) whether the Government is satisfied with the performance of said airlines; if not, the reasons thereof? Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Secretariat: (a) There are three (03) private airlines operating in the country, namely, Airblue, Shaheen Air International and Air Indus. (b) The performance of the above airlines has remained satisfactory so far, as no serious complaint has been reported either by the passengers or any other agency. 9 5.