Pakistan to import Chinese CanSino vaccine in bulk to package 3m doses locally

Pakistan to import Chinese CanSino vaccine in bulk to package 3m doses locally.

Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Nausheen Hamid told the National Assembly today (Thursday).

She said that the government is importing anti-Covid vaccine in adequate quantity to successfully carry out the vaccination of the people.

Pakistan to import Chinese CanSino vaccine in bulk to package 3m doses

She was addressing during Question Hour.

Furthermore, she he said hat the first consignment of purchased vaccine comprising sixty thousand doses reached Pakistan yesterday.

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

She 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.

Drug

She further said that maximum retail prices of 562 drugs were reduced and notified after approval by the federal government.

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

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

She said Pakistan will receive forty-five million doses of anti-Covid vaccine from the platform of Covax.

Aliya Hamza Malik

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce and Industries Aliya Hamza Malik also spoke.

She 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. That sought to authorize the Speaker National Assembly to constitute a parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.

Moreover, he proposed the committee 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.

Ordinances and bills

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).

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.

Moreover, 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.

Resolutions

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.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan presented the resolutions to this effect.

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

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

Meanwhile, the House will now meet again tomorrow at 11am.

GTV