ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that a total of Rs296 billion has been paid to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in net hydel profit over the last decade.
Responding during the question hour, Minister for Water Resources Musadik Malik detailed that Rs216 billion had been paid to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Rs73.45 billion to Punjab, and Rs6.4 billion to AJK. He also noted that outstanding balances amount to Rs36 billion for KP, Rs72 billion for Punjab, and Rs379 million for AJK as of March 2024.
Malik explained that the federal government continues to make payments for hydel profits and water usage charges (WUC) as it receives funds from the Central Power Purchasing Agency for electricity sales.
In other matters, Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan highlighted ongoing collaborations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia to enhance Pakistan Railways services. He mentioned progress on the ML-1 Railway project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), aiming to improve passenger and freight services.
Khan also informed the house about the construction of a 200-bed specialized cancer hospital at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, expected to be fully operational by the end of the fiscal year.
Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain reported that the flow of Sikh pilgrims to the Kartarpur Corridor has decreased due to restrictions imposed by India, clarifying that Pakistan has no barriers on its side.
During the session, the Ministry of National Health Services revealed that 45 new polio cases have been reported in the past three years. The ministry noted that $447 million has been spent on combating polio since January 2022, and the current polio eradication plan, backed by international donors, will run until December 2026.
In response to a calling attention notice, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan vowed to address overpricing at tuck shops on motorways, assuring that provincial magistrates would enforce price controls and monitor product quality.
Story by Naveed Butt and Zulfiqar Ahmad
