ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) has disbursed more than Rs 4.2 billion among needy during the last two years, the National Assembly was informed on Friday.
In a written reply on Friday, the Minister In-charge of the Cabinet Division told the Lower House of the Parliament that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal disbursed financial assistance amounting to Rs 1,950,486,283 and Rs 2,072,261,533 among the needy during financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 respectively.
The minister told that as many as 4,1024 persons including minorities benefitted during the financial year 2015-16 while 4,1146 needy in financial 2016-17.
Besides, he added that 3,310 children were accommodated in 34 centers of Pakistan Sweet Homes during the last year for which Rs 463.789 million were spent.
In addition, he told that the government has allocated an Rs 6 billion amount to eliminate poverty from downtrodden segments of the society in the budget 2017-18.
Separately, the Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Secretariat Raja Muhammad Javed Ikhlas informed the House during the question-hour that the government is strictly implementing laws for safety and freedom of wild life.
The parliamentary secretary said that the provincial, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan governments were also implementing the laws strictly. He said that the government had taken various steps under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve climate change targets.
Javed Ikhlas said that the government has ratified the Paris agreement on climate change in November 2016.
The parliamentary secretary said that in February 2016, Pakistan Climate Change Bill has been passed unanimously by both Houses of the Parliament. He said that the National Forest Policy has been approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
In action, he told that the Green Pakistan Program had been launched under directions of the prime minister for the revival forestry resources and conservation of biodiversity.
Javed Ikhlas said that the Ministry of Climate Change has assisted the Balochistan government for declaration of Astola island off Pasni along the along the Balochistan coast as Pakistan’s first Marine Protected Area.
