1000 MW electricity to be imported from Iran: NA told
The government has announced to import one thousand MW electricity from Iran very soon.
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was told that agreement will be signed with Iran for import of one thousand megawatt of electricity and that Pakistan Railways has also involved private sector to rehabilitate aging locomotives and develop dry ports.
The National Assembly resumed its session in Islamabad on Thursday with Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi in the chair.
Replying to another call attention notice moved by Shaikh Salahuddin and others‚ Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Division Khurram Jahangir Wattoo told the House that agreement will be signed with Iran for import of one thousand megawatt of electricity.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that NEPRA has not raised power tariff under fuel adjustment mechanism as the Islamabad High Court has put a bar on it since October last year.
He told that 24 percent hydro electricity is being produced 42 percent from Furnace Oil and 25 percent from gas.
The National Assembly was also informed that Pakistan Railways is procuring 275 new locomotives and repairing old ones to provide better traveling facilities to the passengers and control the losses.
Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Shaikh Nauman Islam told the House during question hour that Pakistan Railways has also involved private sector in different activities including rehabilitation of aging locomotives‚ development of dry ports and commercial management of the passenger trains to improve the functioning of this public service entity. Private sector has also been invited to operate freight trains on railways infrastructure. This will help Pakistan Railways to generate additional revenues.
The Parliamentary Secretary told the House that doubling of track between Karachi and Lahore will be completed by the end of this year‚ providing additional capacity to Pakistan Railways to run more trains. Installation of modern signaling system is in progress which will be completed soon in order to facilitate train operations.
Islam told the House that the new locomotives will be inducted into Pakistan Railways during the next six to eight months. He said this will help revive old routes of trains.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar told the House in a written reply that the government has put in place a mechanism to help those who require evacuation from Syria. Pakistani Embassy in Beirut has been made responsible to extend facility in this regard after the temporary closure of our mission in Damascus‚ she said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Palwasha Khan told the House that currently 20 to 30 Pakistanis are residing in Syria while all of our students there returned home after the start of conflict.
She said we have bilateral arrangements with India‚ Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for release and exchange of prisoners.
Responding to a call attention notice moved by Nisar Tanvir and others‚ Minister for Religious Affairs Khurshid Ahmad Shah said the present government has given package of ten to twelve billion rupees to Pakistan Steel Mills to make it a profitable entity. He said this package will help enhance the production capacity of Pakistan Steel Mills to forty million tons.
He said Pakistan will soon import one hundred thousand tons of Iron ore from Australia to increase production of Pakistan Steel. He said the steps taken by the government for bringing improvements in the entity will be visible during the next one to two months.
Chairman of the Standing Committee on Interior Abdul Qadir Patel laid before the House report of the Standing Committee on "The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment).
The session has been adjourned till Friday morning.
