No gas load shedding being carried out, NA told

Interior minister says NACTA to be more vibrant by early 2019

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Tuesday that no gas load shedding is being carried out in any part of the country.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Agha Hassan Baloch, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan admitted there is issue of low gas pressure in different cities.

He said Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited is executing two projects of replacing the old pipelines with new ones at a cost of 2.28 billion rupees.

The petroleum minister said installation of new pipelines and new compressors will help address the issue of low gas pressure and added gas distribution companies have also been directed to check their losses and gas theft.

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi told the House a plan will be unveiled in March next year to make National Counter Terrorism Authority [NACTA] more meaningful and vibrant. He said national security is the focus of the government.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said all the stakeholders including the political parties should sit together to formulate a charter of economy.



Responding to the points raised by Ajmal Khan on the problems faced by farmers, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said the government is giving priority to the uplift of agriculture sector as this sector is also being made part of multi billion dollars China Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

On the protest of teachers of basic education community schools at D Chowk in Islamabad, Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood assured their salaries will soon be paid after approval of over three billion rupees by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for this purpose.

A number of bills were laid before the House on Tuesday including The Constitution (Amendment) bill, 2018 (Articles 25 B, 51, 63 B, 92 and 106), Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2018, The Election (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, (Article 106).