Islamabad: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has emphasized the critical importance of the Sukkur-Hyderabad-Karachi motorway for Pakistan’s economic stability. Addressing the National Assembly during its session, he highlighted the government’s commitment to completing the project, whether through foreign investment or domestic funding via the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Minister of State for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani, assured lawmakers that the motorway project remains a top priority. He confirmed that it will be included in the upcoming PSDP, with construction expected to commence within the year.
In other developments, the National Assembly was briefed on substantial reductions in electricity prices for domestic consumers. Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, reported a fifty-six percent reduction in electricity rates for eighteen million consumers using less than two hundred units. Overall, domestic consumers and farmers have seen a twenty percent decrease, with a thirty-one percent cut for industrial users.
The power minister projected that Pakistan will emerge as a competitive energy supplier in the region within one and a half years. He noted that the country currently has a surplus of seven thousand megawatts of electricity available for the next three years and ongoing negotiations with development partners aim to provide further relief to industries.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhary highlighted the improvement in Pakistan’s international image, attributing it to the country’s firm response to Indian aggression. He reiterated the government’s commitment to enhancing the global ranking of the Pakistani passport and acknowledged the significant remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis.
Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights, Saba Sadiq, informed the Assembly that the appointment of a Chairperson for the National Commission on the Status of Women is imminent. She affirmed the commission’s dedication to promoting and protecting women’s rights, especially focusing on vulnerable groups through coordinated efforts at various governmental levels.
The National Assembly is scheduled to reconvene at eleven a.m. tomorrow.