ISLAMABAD, Oct 6: Pakistan’s population touched 146.5 million mark in January 2003, the National Assembly was told here on Monday in a written statement.
Out of the total figure of 146.5 million, the population of Islamabad is 941,938, while that of the Punjab is 81.4 million, Sindh, 33.7 million; NWFP, 19.7 million; Balochistan, 7.3 million; FATA, 3.463 million.
In response to a question of Kunwar Khalid Yunus, the House was informed that the total population of the country according to the last population and housing census of March 1998 was 132.4 million. Only bona fide Pakistanis were counted during the census, while illegal and legal foreign nationals were excluded from the process.
During the last census, it was suggested that the number of youth between 14 to 25 years of age was 31 million, while the employed population amongst them was 5.8 million, and among every 5.3 persons, one was employed. The percentage of youth employed was 18.7.
Replying to another question, the statement said Rs3.7 million was distributed among officers of the National Reconstruction Bureau and Chief Executive Office from October 12, 1999 to 2002 as honoraria.
One month basic pay was paid as honoraria to the officers with the approval of the chief executive, keeping in view the arduous duties performed by them at odd hours and state functions.
The government is taking steps to check unauthorized dealing of foreign currency on Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the National Assembly was informed. During the last three years, two cases were registered in Quetta zone and eight in Peshawar zone.
The statement said the total foreign exchange reserves of $11.3 billion were built up from foreign trade flow gap, including exports and imports, inward remittances, home remittances, loans, grants and other foreign currency receipts and payments.
The foreign exchange reserves with the State Bank were invested in short-term deposits with highly reputable international central and commercial banks.
The House was told that different benefits were being derived from the increase in foreign exchange reserves like a tool for exchange rate and monetary policy management, intervention in the inter bank market to affect the rate at which rupee traded, competitiveness of Pakistani exports of goods and services in the world economy and its role to curb abnormally high growth of money supply and inflationary pressures.
The foreign reserves also provide implicit guarantee to the creditors that the country will be able to meet its obligations on time. Reserves were held as a defence against emergencies. The high level of reserves encourages foreign investors to invest in Pakistan.
In reply to another question, the House was told that the central excise duty on un-manufactured tobacco was not only being collected from the NWFP but also from the Punjab and Sindh. An amount of Rs142 million was collected from the Punjab as CED during 2002-03, while the amounts collected from Sindh and the NWFP came to Rs67 million and Rs70.8 million, respectively.
According to the 5th National Finance Commission Award, central excise duties, which included excise duty on tobacco, were part of divisible taxes pool, and the net proceeds of divisible taxes were being distributed among the provinces.
The House was informed that the foreign direct investment, owing to the measures taken by the government, increased by 65 per cent ($798 million) during 2002-03, compared to $485 million in 2001-02.
The Zari Tarqiati Bank Limited in 2002-03 had advanced credit amounting to Rs381 million to Balochistan. It included Rs147.2 million development loans for tractors, farm equipment, dairy farming, livestock, tubewells, orchards, poultry farming, land development, fisheries etc. Similarly, Rs234 million was provided as production loans for the purchase of inputs like fertilizer, pesticides, seeds, hire labour charges, besides working capital for poultry, dairy, livestock, fisheries etc.