Rana Tanvir Hussain, Minister for Science and Technology, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), conducted a research on the access and availability of drinking water which showed only 72% of water supply schemes were functional, whereas, 84% of the water supply was not suitable for daily consumption.
Tanvir Hussain, publicized the water in Sindh and Punjab is greatly polluted with arsenic in 14% of the water supply. Further he said, a sum of Rs279 million has been spent for the provision of safe drinking water project in the last four years’ time.
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Under this project, 17 water quality checking laboratories have been established at district level with six regional water quality laboratories been upgraded under the supervision of PCRWR. Mr. Hussain claimed, funds have also been used for the capacity building of 3,000 professionals associated with water supply agencies.
Zahid Hamid, Law Minister, told the Senate about the commercial banks working in Pakistan have earned more than Rs472 billion and yet 84% of the population does not have access to safe drinking water. Furthermore, the date he had presented in the Senate showed the increase in profits over the past three years; Rs193 billion in 2015, Rs164 billion in 2014 and Rs115 billion in 2013.
Habib bank tops the list with a whooping Rs88 billion profit, going down the list, MCB with Rs71 billion, UBL (United Bank Limited) Rs66 billion and lastly Allied Bank Limited with a profit of Rs44.77 billion. This goes to show the amount of profit these banks have earned in the past three years alone is more than Rs270 billion
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The question of where this money is being placed and spent rises. If the banks of this country are earning that much profit, why is it not being used for the benefit of the public? What is being done with the money?
Senator Aitzaz Ahsan raises the issue of exoneration of culprits
Following this issue the Senate also talked about the exoneration of culprits that were involved in torching the houses of Christians in Lahore.
It was Senator Aitzaz Ahsan who took up the issue by saying; “the prosecution had not pursued the case properly, which is why all the accused had been acquitted”.
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With the rise of Islamophobia in United States, under Donald Trump’s presidency, people hating and torturing Muslims is an increasing issue. In the light of this situation Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said, “What would have been our reaction if this had happened to Muslims in Chicago or elsewhere.”