Pakistanis' evacuation from Libya begins, National Assembly told

The government on Tuesday shunned the impression of being oblivious of some 18,000 Pakistanis safety stranded in Libya by telling the National Assembly that to ensure their safe return evacuation process has been started.
"I wish to assure the House that the government will make every effort for the evacuation of our nationals from Libya," said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, while responding to a calling attention notice of Shireen Arshad Khan and four other parliamentarians regarding non-repatriation of Pakistanis stranded in Libya and obstructed at Egyptian border.
She told the house that Pakistanis stranded in Tripoli were safe and sound and no serious damage, loss of life or life-threatening situation had so far arisen. She said that 354 people had been airlifted. The State Minister told the house that security situation in Libya has deteriorated sharply over the last few days and in the absence of a central authority in various parts of the country and large-scale incidents of violence, movement inside Libya has become hazardous. This factor is also being taken into account to ensure the safety of our nationals.
Our Embassies in the region particularly in Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Rome and others countries have been instructed to do everything necessary to receive, provide essential facilities including food and medicines where required, also to issue emergency passports and other travel documents as well as to arrange accommodation and repatriation by air of our nationals to Pakistan, she added.
She told the National Assembly that the government was trying its best to get flight clearance from Libyan Civil Aviation to operate PIA Jumbo flights for evacuation of our nationals from Tripoli and other Libyan air ports. She said that as two chartered flights of Turkish airline carrying 354 Pakistani nationals from Istanbul to Lahore were organised by a Turkish Company. They were working with a Turkish company as the first such flight reached Lahore last night and the second is expected to land soon.
Hina told that Pakistani Mission entrusted to rescue the countrymen at border points had been directed to come up with vehicles, foods, medicines and other basic facilities so anyone in need might not feel discomfort. However, Tahira Aurangzeb of PML-N censured the government for not taking any action against Ali Javed, interim in charge of Pakistan Embassy in Libya after transfer of the Ambassador, who she said was found involved in some cases of sexual harassment.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does have the evidence with it. The government should take action against Javed for his wrong doings, she demanded. While demanding safe exit of Pakistanis from Libya, the PML-Q legislator Riaz Fitayana suggested the government to call a meeting of Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and perform due role in addressing the issue of Libya.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mahreen Razaq Bhuttoo told National Assembly that the government had taken appropriate action including imposition of penalties on 37 pharmaceutical companies for arbitrary increase in medicine prices. Responding to a calling attention notice, she said that since 2010 the government had not raised the price of any medicine. She told the house that the Ministry had appointed drugs inspectors and had established drug laboratories to check whether registered medicines were being sold in the markets or not, checking their prices as well.