Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Since 2006, Pakistan has extended most favourite nation (MFN) status to 14 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) except India and Israel, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir told the upper house of parliament on Friday.

In reply to a question, the minister said that the purpose of granting the MFN status to WTO members was to bring uniformity and predictability to international trade, remove barriers to trade through reduction of tariffs, elimination of discriminatory non-tariff barriers, and provision of a level playing field to foreign producers.

Responding to another question, Dastgir said that certified quality cottonseed availability was 29,363.96 metric tonnes during the current fiscal year. “During the last two years, 544 challans of cottonseed dealers were submitted in the courts of law, and a quantity of 40,557kg uncertified/fake cottonseed was forfeited.”

Meanwhile, State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) informed the House that 153 persons were working at the PIMS Cardiac Care Centre. “Equipment and machinery worth Rs 1.76 billion have been procured and installed at various components of the PIMS during 2004-2016.”

He said that the PC-I for upgradation of the Radiology Department at FGPC (PGMI), Islamabad with a total outlay of Rs 364.50 million had been forwarded to the CADD.

He informed the House that the necessary infrastructure for liver transplantation facility was also available at the PIMS. The centre would be functional only after the availability of trained and professional human resource such as liver transplant surgeons, anaesthetists and intensive care specialists. “These posts are still vacant despite multiple advertisements published for appointments,” he said.

Briefing the Senate, the minister said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had planned to plant 600,000 plants annually in whole ICT area. “Around 300,000 plants have been planted and the remaining 300,000 plants will be planted in the next monsoon.

He said that the Directorate General of Special Education, working under the CADD, had developed a mechanism to identify learning impairment disability in students and provide them with education, training and rehabilitation at five special education and training centres.

He told the House that the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus project was being operated, managed and maintained by the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA). “The deficit (subsidy) will be shared between the federal and the Punjab governments on the basis of number of kilometres and the number of stations in the respective area. However, as of now, the subsidy amount has been borne entirely by the Punjab government.”