Ishaq Dar says China has rolled over its $2 billion loan to Pakistan for one year

ISLAMABAD, Mar 31 (SABAH): Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has confirmed that China has rolled over its two billion dollars loan to Pakistan for one year.

Speaking in the Senate on Friday on a point raised by PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani, Ishaq Dar rejected as speculative a report appeared in a foreign media that Pakistan is still awaiting rollover of the Chinese loan.

The Finance Minister said the rollover was made on the 23rd March. He said the documentation vis-à-vis the roll-over also stands completed and it is no longer in the pipeline.

Meanwhile the Senate was informed on Friday that the government is working on a legislation to compel the social media platforms register themselves in Pakistan.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Malik Shahadat Awan told the House during Question Hour that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has also taken action against undesirable content on social media. He said the authority has blocked 47,674 URLs over hate speech.

In her remarks, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman told the House that recommendations will be finalized in consultation with the provincial governments for a long term strategy to meet the challenges of global warming and Green House Gas Emissions.

She said a project is being implemented to build capacity of local farmers to enhance the water efficiency in the agriculture sector.

She said directives have been issued to the chief secretaries to effectively cope with heat waves this year.

Later, the House was adjourned to meet again on Monday at 11:00 AM.