Senate proceedings: Delhi could not digest corridor deal, says Dar

Govt briefs Senate on measures taken against climate change

ISLAMABAD:

New Delhi should not cast an evil eye on Pakistan’s economic prosperity, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar warned India on Friday. “Pakistan’s next-door neighbour India could not digest Pak-China Economic Corridor Project deal,” Dar told the Upper House of Parliament. He was responding to a notice moved by Senator Sassui Palijo of Pakistan Peoples Party.

Palijo had drawn the attention of Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif towards the destruction of infrastructure along the border due to heavy mortar shelling by Indian troops.

“We would give a befitting response to any Indian aggression [both on economic and war fronts]. It [Indian aggression] directly links to our recent economic stability, particularly in the form of Pak-China economic deal,” he told the lawmakers.

Even Indian Premier Narendra Modi on his recent visit to China raised this issue arguing that our economic corridor’s route was controversial, he recalled. “But China has shown [Modi] the red flag,” he observed.  Pakistan has been taking up issue of cross-border violation at international forums as well as with India, he said . “We have not closed our eyes. We don’t have a soft corner for India. We are not beggars,” he remarked.

During the course of the proceedings, senators expressed their concern over issuance of alleged fake NOCs by ministry of interior for bulletproof vehicles. Senator Talha Mahmood of Jammiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl informed the Senate that over three dozen NOCs issued to various dignitaries were believed to be found fake. “It is a serious matter. The government should take notice of it,” he observed.

The Senate also passed the Credit Bureau Bill, 2015 which was moved by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The bill provides for the incorporation and functioning of Credit Bureau.

Ministry of Climate Change had previously also zeroed in on the expected changes in global climate and their possible effects on environment in the country.

Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan shared the precautionary measures being taken to minimise the impact of climate change.

In a written reply to the Senate question-hour on Friday, the minister stated that the average global temperature of the earth has been increasing. This was due to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century.

According to the minister, the most prominent aspect of climate change is the resulting increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Events such as floods, droughts, cyclonic activities, extremely high or extremely low temperature and extreme precipitation events were examples of all such events etc.

He also pointed to an increasing trend in the occurrence of extreme events over the past two decades.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2015.