ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: The government has reshuffled or appointed 24 ambassadors over the past eight months, but still eight missions in Japan, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Vietnam, Maldives, Brazil and Senegal are without an envoy, the Senate was told during question hour on Friday.

The government assured the upper house that there would be no discrimination in provincial quota and Balochistan, which had a low representation in foreign missions, would be given its share.

The assurance came in response to a request by Dr Ismail Buledi (JUI-F) for details of the province-wise quota in foreign appointments.

Dr Buledi had alleged that Balochistan was being ignored in foreign appointments, contending that the presence of only three individuals from the province, out of 78 appointments, did not match its six per cent quota.

According to the province-wise break-up, Punjab has 45 ambassadors/high commissioners abroad, Sindh 14, the NWFP 11, Balochistan and Fata three each and Azad Kashmir two. No appointment was made from the Northern Areas.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Farooq H. Naek, who answered questions on behalf of the foreign minister, refused to reply to a question by PML-Q lawmaker Jamal Leghari about the criteria for change/appointment of ambassadors.

He instead asked the senator to come up with a specific example where someone was transferred or appointed in violation of merit.

Leader of the House Mian Raza Rabbani informed the Senate that the government had decided to regularise all contractual and daily-wage employees working in government departments a5ment the decision.”

Abdur Rahim Mandokhel, of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, said the wheat and flour crisis had compelled the people of Balochistan to buy flour at exorbitant rates.

In reply to question about the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline, the government said the project was delayed because of reopening of the price mechanism formula by Tehran and also because India had again hinted at joining the project.

The house was informed that the government was aware of the sale of Pakistani rice under Indian seal in Middle Eastern countries, adding due to the media highlighting the issue, this could not go on any farther and would be checked.

A lawmaker said that export of rice to Afghanistan under the permit system should be regularised.

A lawmaker from Balochistan said that smuggling of rice from Chaman needed to be checked.

The food and agriculture minister informed the house that the wheat storage capacity was only 3.87 million tons while the procurement target was 6.5 million tons.

The house was informed that production at the Pakistan Steel had come down to 899,000 tons from 983,000 tons because of a delay in arrival of raw material from Australia.

The minister said he was not in a position to reply to Nisar Memon’s question seeking figures of demand and production of wheat during 2005, 2006 and 2007 and the quantum of wheat imported during these periods.

He said he would provide relevant information after a fortnight.