The Lower House of the Parliament, the National Assembly, on Friday passed four government bills by majority vote after clause-by-clause consideration.
The bills included the Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026; the NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan (Amendment) Bill, 2026; the National Textile University (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the National Rahmatul-Lil-Aalameen Wa Khatamun Nabiyyin Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The House was informed that due to the Middle East situation, gas supply was affected, causing two urea plants in the country to remain temporarily closed, resulting in a shortfall of over 200,000 tons of fertilizer availability and creating shortage issues in the market.
During Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary Shaista Khan told the House that agricultural production depends on fertilizer availability, therefore any increase or decrease in fertilizer prices and supply is a matter of concern for the government. The government is also relying on imports to meet fertilizer requirements, with about 50% of the country’s needs being met from abroad. Due to the Middle East crisis, fertilizer prices have also increased in the international market.
She said the Ministry of National Food Security and Research gives priority to farmers’ needs and various projects are being launched to solve their problems, including provision of easy loans to farmers so they can meet their agricultural needs.
In reply to a supplementary question, the Parliamentary Secretary said that on the issue of adulteration of wheat with sand and soil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the concerned minister has taken action and planning has been done to take action against those involved in supply of substandard wheat.
She further said that work is underway at NARC for development and research of new seed varieties. To cope with climate change challenges, research is being conducted on seeds compatible with wheat and water scarcity conditions to enable Pakistan’s agriculture sector to combat effects of climate change.
Project to curb counterfeit medicines
The National Assembly was informed that the government has devised a project to effectively address the issue of counterfeit medicines in the country.
Minister for National Health Services, Mustafa Kamal told the House during Question Hour that the project, which is to be formally launched by the Prime Minister by the end of November, will enable consumers to verify the authenticity of medicines by scanning their 2D barcodes, using mobile phones at pharmacies.
He said the system would allow consumers to check whether a medicine is genuine, as well as it will verify its approved price and expiry date.
Mustafa Kamal said the system would also enable the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to take appropriate action against those involved in their manufacture and distribution.
The Minister for National Health Services informed the House that the government is working towards making Pakistan self-reliant in indigenous vaccine production.
Railways digitization
Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi told the House that Pakistan Railways is on the path of digitization. He said Pakistan Railways has modernized its reservation system by introducing online and electronic ticket booking through the Railways Automated Booking and Travel Assistance (RABTA) mobile application.
He said passengers can check schedules, verify seat availability, and purchase tickets electronically without physically visiting reservation offices.
Wheat distribution
The National Assembly was informed that after the dissolution of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), letters have been sent to relevant institutions and provinces for distribution of available wheat stocks, while wheat is also being supplied to Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and other concerned areas.
Parliamentary Secretary for National Food Security and Research Shaista Khan gave the information during Question Hour in response to questions by Shahida Rehmani and Aliya Kamran.
She said wheat imports have also been made to meet requirements and imported stocks have reached warehouses. To make wheat transportation and supply to provinces transparent, a digital system has been introduced with a dashboard to monitor movement, the concerned province and complete delivery details.
In reply to a supplementary question, the Parliamentary Secretary said PASSCO had declined due to financial and administrative issues, as some provinces were not paying its dues and bills on time.
She explained that the government intends to properly involve the private sector and for this purpose relevant companies will be linked with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
A system is also being devised to monitor and hold private companies accountable to make wheat supply and distribution process effective.
PIA fleet
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Osama Sarwar told the National Assembly that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) would induct four aircraft into its fleet.
Responding to a Calling Attention Notice regarding the exclusion of Karachi from the operational routes of the recently leased PIA Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for flights between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, he said PIA had been privatised and was now operating under an independent board of directors.
He emphasised that the airline could not be directed to operate on specific routes.
However, he assured the House that PIA would commence flights from Karachi to the United Kingdom in January next year.
Osama Sarwar also said PIA had resumed flights to the UK, crediting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the development.
He said the airline was acquiring four aircraft to expand its fleet and resume operations on additional routes.
The first aircraft would resume operations on November 1, while the second would be received on November 15, after which its route would be finalised.
He added that two more aircraft would join the PIA fleet in January and resume operations from Karachi.
Dam projects
Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources Rana Ansar has said that federal and provincial governments are jointly working on construction of various dams to increase water storage capacity, and a telemetry system will be installed at 27 locations to monitor water flow in rivers and distribution to provinces.
During Question Hour, she told the House that Diamer Bhasha Dam is a major water project of the country on which work is underway and the federal government is taking steps for its completion. She said after completion of various phases and PC-I, its construction is progressing. Diamer Bhasha Dam is an important project after Tarbela Dam in terms of increasing water storage capacity.
She said under the National Water Policy approved by the Council of Common Interests in 2018, IRSA and the federal government were tasked to install a telemetry system at 27 locations. Through this system, water flow in rivers and the quantity of water provided to Punjab, Sindh and other provinces can be monitored.
Identification of these locations has been completed while WAPDA and Indus River System Authority are working jointly on the project. PC-I for installation of telemetry system is also ready, and preparations for its installation at various locations are underway.
On a supplementary question by Khurshid Junejo, she said the installation of the telemetry system is being done in consultation with provinces and in coordination with their Irrigation Departments. She assured that the list of 27 locations will be provided to the member of the National Assembly, which will include details of Taunsa, Sindh Barrage and Chashma Link and other locations.
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