ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: As many as 423 cases of the Aids and HIV positive had been reported and out of this 29 were Aids victims, Federal Minister for Health Muhammad Naseer Khan told the National Assembly on Friday in a written reply.

The minister informed the National Assembly that government had initiated several steps to check the outbreak of the Aids and had launched a national programme in this regard.

Responding to a question, he said that Pakistan had not imported any vaccine for bird flue in the human beings as no such vaccine had been produced.

“However, vaccine for bird flue in the cattle has been imported for $1.1 million from Italy and Netherlands,” minister said in a written reply to NA.

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Khurshid Kasuri informed the National Assembly in a written reply that government had recalled the incharge of Pakistani mission in Spain for not maintaining record of passports and had started investigations.

The minister said that all those officials who were involved in the matter of missing passports would be called back soon and the explanations would be sought from them for failing to maintain the record of the passports.

“The consulate in Mumbai has not become operational due to technical reasons and government has not taken a decision to open the new consulates in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Spain,” minister said.

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed informed the National Assembly that cash was being received from 552 railway stations on daily basis.

“As many as 1015 km railway lines has been repaired for the last three years and Rs7.2 billion have been spent in this regard,” the minister said.

The minister said that 66 kanals adjacent to military farm had been occupied by housing directorate general headquarter, Rawalpindi and there was no proposal to get the land back. “However, we are negotiating with army administration,” he added.—Online