Islamabad, September 11, 2024- Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and National Heritage, Attaullah Tarar, informed the National Assembly today that 93 passport offices have been established at Pakistani missions abroad. However, no such office is operational in Afghanistan. The placement of these offices is based on the population of overseas Pakistanis.
Fire in H-9 Bazaar
In response to additional questions, the Minister reported that a recent fire at the H-9 weekly Bazaar resulted in the destruction of 625 stalls and an estimated financial loss of approximately Rs 280 million. An inquiry, supervised by the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, has been conducted, and the findings have been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office. Notably, this marks the third fire incident at the H-9 Bazaar in the past three years, causing significant damage to government assets and stallholders.
To prevent future incidents, stallholders have been advised to keep fire extinguishers on hand. A comprehensive fire safety audit report, including identified gaps and recommendations, will be distributed to all relevant parties for implementation. Additionally, the CDA/MCI will launch a capacity-building program for fire-fighting personnel to enhance their skills in fire prevention, detection, and response.
