International organizations have ranked Pakistan as one of the least racial countries in the world.

This was told by Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, while responding to a question during the Question Hour in the Lower House on Thursday evening.

He said a report of the Washington Post ranked Pakistan as the least racial country, while World Values Survey found it as the more racial tolerant country in the universe.

The Minister said any complaint regarding violation of human rights is solved on priority basis in cooperation with the law enforcement agencies. He also urged the world community to take notice of gross human rights violations being committed by India and Israel in the Occupied Kashmir and Palestine respectively.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary on National Health Services Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro said that the government is taking all possible measures to reduce prices of medicines.  She said the current rise in the rates of medicines is because of depreciation of Pakistani rupee.

Eight bills were introduced in the House today. These include; “The Archival Material (Preservation and Export Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2023”,  “The National Archives (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” “The Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” “[The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” “The Press Council of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” “[The National Institute of Health (Re-Organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” and  “The Apostille (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, “The Gun and Country Club Bill, 2023”.  

Speaking on “The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said new amendments have been introduced in the bill to enhance credibility of the news content and curbing disinformation as well as misinformation.  She said the definition of fake news has been made part of the bill to ensure objectivity.  She further said that media organizations have also been given representation in the bill.

The House passed “The Pakistan Airports Authority Bill, 2022” and “The Pakistan Civil Aviation Bill, 2022””

The House will now meet again tomorrow at 11 in the morning.