Tardy MNAs criticised for dereliction

House told 28 CPEC projects worth $18.8b completed, so far

ISLAMABAD:

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani and Water Resources Minister Khursheed Shah criticised lawmakers on Friday for their late arrival at the session, and called for starting the house proceedings on time.

During the short session because of lack of quorum, the house was informed that 28 projects had so far been completed at a cost of $18.8 billion under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

As the session started, Shah took the floor and stressed that the proceedings of the house must commence at the announced time. “It is a matter of the sanctity of the House,” he said, urging the fellow lawmakers to work for the strengthening democracy and the parliament.

Shah said that Parliament was the mother of all institutions and we have reached here, after a great struggle. If the session starts on time, it will send a good message. If you start the meeting late, the members will also get into the habit of coming late,” he told the chair.

Chairing the session, Deputy Speaker Durrani agreed. He said that the next meeting would be started on time “even if the members do not come. The chair also expressed its displeasure at the absence of Murtaza Javed Abbasi, saying “if the chief whip arrives late, how will the members arrive on time”.

After the Question Hour, Ghous Bakhsh Mahar of the opposition, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), said that there was no chief whip. He pointed out the quorum, which was found incomplete. Later the chaired adjourned the session until Monday evening.

During the question hour, the house was informed that 28 projects -- six in Punjab, seven in Sindh, two in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), six in Balochistan, one in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and five in Islamabad – had been completed so far under the CPEC framework.

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Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said in a written reply to the house that the completed schemes included 12 projects in the energy sector, 10 pertained to the infrastructure development and six projects in the socio-economic development sector.

Iqbal added nine Special Economic Zones (SEZs) – Allama Iqbal Industrial City, Faisalabad, Punjab; Rashakai SEZ, K-P; Dhabeji SEZ, Sindh; Bostan SEZ; Mirpur SEZ, AJK; ICT Model City Islamabad; Industrial Park on Pakistan Still Mill Land Karachi, Sindh; Mohmand Marbal City, K-P; and Maqpandass SEZ, Gilgit – had been agreed upon under CPEC.

Out of these nine SEZs, the Federal Board of Investment (BoI) in consultation with the Chinese side had prioritised the Allama Iqbal Industrial City, Rashakai SEZ, Bostan SEZ, Dhabeji SEZ for fast-track development, he added.

In another written reply, the house was further informed that that hi-tech skills training had been provided to 98,000 youth in 989 institutes under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme since 2013, out of whom 71% certified skilled professionals had been employed in different teades.

Likewise, conventional skills training provided to 285,026 youth like plumbing, electrical, welding, beauty services and dressmaking. Around 46,725 personnel were certified and mainstreamed through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)