Islamabad: The National Assembly was informed today that twenty-three structured initiatives aimed at identifying talent at schools, colleges, and district levels were launched over three domestic cricket seasons in the country. Responding to a question during Question Hour, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said 7,960 students from 398 schools participated in school tournaments in Sindh. Similarly, university and college events, including the Inter-College Ramadan T-20 Cup and the Women’s University T-20, engaged 3,460 players from 157 institutions.
According to Radio Pakistan, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary further explained that age-group cricket tournaments were organized in various categories, including Under-13, Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, and Under-19, in both one-day and three-day formats, involving 1,280 players. Regarding district-level cricket, he noted that regional Inter-District U-19 tournaments featured 104 district teams annually, covering 20,280 players per season during 2022-24. He added that open trials attracted 80,000 senior participants, while age-group trials for U-13 to U-19 involved 50,000 young players.
Speaking about club cricket, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary highlighted that the PCB Inter-Club Tournament in 2023-24 engaged 66,000 players from 3,300 clubs. He further stated that a total of 214,780 players across all programs participated in various formats. The Minister emphasized that the focus has been on inclusive district representation, youth development from U-13 to U-19, and gender diversity, including women’s tournaments. He asserted that these initiatives strengthen grassroots infrastructure and ensure long-term talent pipelines.
Answering a question about environmental projects, Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Shezra Mansab said over 24 flagship projects have been identified across the Indus Basin aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems, enhancing groundwater recharge, and improving water security for agriculture. She mentioned that provincial governments are leading on-ground implementation with projects such as wetland conservation in Sindh, watershed rehabilitation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and improved irrigation efficiency in Punjab and Balochistan.
The Minister of State further explained that under the Recharge Pakistan Programme, a federal-provincial partnership is underway to use nature-based solutions, including floodplain restoration and wetland protection, to build resilience against floods and droughts, enhance groundwater recharge, and stabilize river flows.
Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Nelson Azeem assured the House that the provision of free medicines to cancer patients in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will continue in the next fiscal year as well. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has especially approved 150 million rupees for the purpose.
The National Assembly today passed ‘The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025’ and ‘The Explosives (Amendment) Bill, 2025’. ‘The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, while Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary tabled ‘The Explosives (Amendment) Bill, 2025.’