ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways (PR) suffered losses of Rs 26.993 billion during the fiscal year 2015-16, down from Rs 32.527 billion as compared to the fiscal year 2014-15; Railways Minister Saad Rafique informed the Senate. The Railways Ministry, in a written reply to the Senate during question hour on Tuesday, said the financial position of PR has considerably improved due to the government’s policies. He said existing track on main corridor is being upgraded under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The minister said a freight transport company has been established to explore new avenues for future traffic. State Minister for Interior Balighur Rehman said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was functioning with complete Independence. To a question in the House, he said the agency was enjoying the mandated administrative and operational authority without any interference and influence from the Interior Ministry. He said the FIA’s performance has reasonably been improved for the last few years and it has delivered in many mega scandals. To another question, the minister said steps have also been taken to increase outreach of the FIA. He said strict monitoring and vigilance on the performance and conduct of FIA officers and officials has been enforced through establishment of vigilance units, performance evaluation committees and Snap Checking Committees. He said cash and reward has been introduced for the best performers in the agency. He said new FIA police station has been established at Mardan while a special court has been set up in Gujranwala. He said a special campaign has been launched against human traffickers under which over 2000 have been arrested. The minister also said 57839 fake CNICs have been detected during the re-verification programme so far. He said 54 NADRA employees have been found involved in such cases and 16 of them have been dismissed. He said 9.4 million people were texted during the re-verification process. Meanwhile, the Senate passed ‘The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2016’ with a majority. The bill was moved by Law Minister Zahid Hamid to amend the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973. The House referred another bill ‘The Pakistan Commissions of Inquiry Bill, 2016’ to the standing committee, which was also moved by the law minister. Senators Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar, Mir Kabeer, Kalsoom Parveen, Mohsin Leghari, Saeed Mandokhel, Kamran Sehr, Nehal Hashmi, Usman Kakar, Khush Bakth Shujaat and Sassui Palijo raised matters of public interest in the House. States and Frontier Regions Minister Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch Tuesday told the Senate that at present 67 doctors, 268 paramedical staff and three administrative staff members were working in Cantonment Board Hospital, Rawalpindi. To a question in the Upper House, he said the 199-bed hospital had some 23 departments. He said about 850 patients visited the hospital every day while on average five operations per day were carried out during 2015-16, he added. The expenditure of the hospital during the above years was about Rs 190 million, he said.