Opp protests against oil advisory body
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Opposition strongly protested against the authority given to Oil Advisory Committee (OAC) by the government for fixing the prices of petroleum products. Speaking in the Senate during question hour on Thursday, Senator Faratullah Babar said that as Oil Advisory Committee was looting masses with both hands therefore government or parliament should be given power to fix the prices of petroleum products.
He noted that the oil marketing companies earned billions of rupees under the head of freight margin. Mr Babar said oil marketing companies’ freight margin was Rs 2 from January-2004 to July but they raised freight margin upto Rs 9 in December.
Oil marketing companies embezzled Rs 23 billion under the head of surcharge and number of known personalities are behind this looting, he added. When Senator Faratullah Babar asked for forwarding the matter of oil companies to Senate body, Senate chairman forwarded it to Senate Standing Committee for Petroleum.
Minister of State for Interior Shahzad Wasim said that 1,04,075 Pakistanis were expelled from different countries during last two years. These Pakistanis were ousted on the charge of illegal entry and stay in foreign countries, fake documents, black-list besides their involvement in criminal activities, he maintained.
Mr Wasim said that human-trafficking incidents decreased owing to government’s strong measures against it. We tracked down number of agents besides strictly implementing the anti-human trafficking ordinance, he added. The Minister told the upper house that strict action was also taken against those Pakistanis who were thrown out from different countries on the charge of their involvement in different crimes.
Government also took measures against those FIA officials who were involved in human smuggling, he said. Mr Wasim said that anti-human trafficking unit in FIA and Special Cell were set up in Interior Ministry besides establishing inter provincial Cells for stopping human smuggling. He said number of poor and needy women prisoners in the jails of Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP is 196.
Female prisoners in Sindh jails are 79, 33 in Balochistan and 84 in NWFP jails while Punjab did not send details in this connection, he added. He said that female prisoners who do not have their relatives can lodge their appeal through concerned Jail Superintendent on State expenses. Number of children aged 10 to 15 years, who are imprisoned in Balochistan jails, is 15 while the rest of the province did not provide details about this, he said.
To a question, the Minister said that a directorate is working in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to decompose garbage or waste material. A project of Rs 1 billion has also been started for garbage recycling, he maintained. He noted that work was also underway for establishing sewerage treatment plant and scientific landfill composite plant. He said number of poor and needy women prisoners in the jails of Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP is 196. To another query, Mr Wasim said that 241 persons were recruited on rules and regulations in passport offices from year 2002 to up till now.