The National Assembly was informed today (Thursday) that anti-Covid vaccine is being imported in adequate quantity to successfully carry out the vaccination of the people.

Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Nausheen Hamid told the House during Question Hour that the first consignment of purchased vaccine comprising sixty thousand doses reached Pakistan yesterday.

She said another half a million doses will reach Pakistan tomorrow.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that Pakistan will import Chinese CanSino vaccine in bulk to package three million doses locally. This vaccine will reach by the mid of next month and manpower is being trained for domestic production.

The Parliamentary Secretary said in the first phase, four hundred and fifty thousand health workers were registered for vaccination, while the people aged above sixty years are now being vaccinated.

She said a transparent mechanism has been developed for fixation of the prices of drugs.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that maximum retail prices of 562 drugs were reduced and notified after approval by the federal government.

She said the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan published a public notice of reduced prices in the national newspapers for information of the public.

The Parliamentary Secretary said manufacturing of generic drugs is being encouraged and facilitated as by and large the generic products are cheaper than the branded drugs.

The Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services said Pakistan will receive forty-five million doses of anti-Covid vaccine from the platform of Covax.

Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce and Industries Aliya Hamza Malik said that twenty-one new entrants are entering the auto industry of Pakistan with an investment of one billion dollars.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan moved a motion in the House authorizing the Speaker National Assembly to constitute a parliamentary committee on electoral reforms comprising members both of the opposition and treasury members.

Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, on the occasion, said PTI government is trying to bring transparency in the electoral process. For this, he said, we want to move forward with consensus.

Responding to a Calling Attention Notice, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said a special audit has been conducted into the delay in the Lowari Tunnel project.

He said the ground breaking of Chitral-Shandur road project will soon be performed whilst two more road projects for Chitral area will be inaugurated after Eidul Fitr.

Two Ordinances were laid before the house today. These included National Accountability Amendment Ordinance 2021 and Tax laws amendment ordinance 2021.

Several bills were laid before the house today. These included:

The Constitution Amendment bill 2021 (Amendment in Articles 1, 51 and 106); the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Amendment Bill 2021; The Criminal Laws Amendment Bill 2021; The Federal Employees Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance Amendment Bill; The Code of Civil Procedure Amendment Bill; The Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Amendment Bill and The Provincial Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill.

The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned for further deliberations.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly today passed two bills. These included the Senate Secretariat Services Amendment Bill 2021 and the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Amendment Bill 2020.

The National Assembly also passed resolutions extending different ordinances for a further period of one hundred and twenty days. These included: Special Technology Zones Authority Ordinance, Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Amendment Ordinance; Employees Old Age Benefits Amendment Ordinance; Anti Rape Investigation and Trial Ordinance; Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance and National Institute of Health Reorganization Ordinance.

The resolutions to this effect were presented by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan.

Later, the House passed a resolution to reduce gender discrimination in the country.

The resolution was moved by Pakistan Peoples Party's Shazia Marri.

The House will now meet again tomorrow at 11am.