BEIJING – A Pakistani parliamentary delegation has proposed to theirChinese counterparts to establish engineering and medical universities inPakistan for those Pakistani students who could not afford to study inChina.
“We have proposed to the Chinese officials to establish Pak-ChinaEngineering University and Pak-China Medical University in Pakistan forproviding higher education facilities to those students who could notafford to go to China,” Riaz Fatyana MNA told APP here on Wednesday.Fatyana is heading a three-member parliamentary delegation comprising MNAsJunaid Akbar and Mehnaz Akbar Aziz at the third Interregional Seminar onthe achievement of SDGs for Parliaments of Developing Countries held here.
The seminar was co-hosted by National People’s Congress (NPC) of China andthe Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU).He said around 22,000 Pakistani students were currently studying in Chinaand due to which a large amount of foreign exchange was being transferredto China.
Riaz Fatyana said the delegation discussed different issues including theenergy sector, roads and railways during the seminar.“We presented our point of view and our members of the parliament activelyparticipated in different sessions of the seminar,” he added.
He informed that during the discussions and debates on various topics, thePakistani delegation openly showed its concerns over issues including animbalance in the imports and exports and the debt repayment etc.“We have informed the Chinese side that Pakistan has surplus wheat and riceand they should import these crops from Pakistan helping us to narrow thegap in the imports and exports,” he added.
He said that the government wanted early laying of fibre optic betweenChina and Pakistan as early as possible, adding, “We have proposed to theChinese companies to come forward and invest in the energy sectorparticularly renewable energy like wind, solar and hydel in Pakistan.”
Riaz Fatyana said the delegation also recommended to start work on thesocial, education and sanitation sectors as well as industrial and economiczones being completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)framework.
He said after the revival of economic activities, people would getemployment and added that the communication sector was being upgraded.At present, the energy projects were up to 70 per cent of the CPEC, he saidand added, two high voltage power transmission lines were being constructed.
The MNA said that 72 per cent electricity was being produced throughcoal-powered plants while the remaining hydel and wind electricity projectswould be completed at an early dateHe pointed out that the efficiency of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Plant wasnot up to the mark as a result of environmental issues and proposed to makeefforts to increase its production.
He said the delegation apprised the Chinese side that more Pakistanicompanies, businessmen, technicians and skilled labours should be engagedin the CPEC projects enabling them to increase their share and get moreemployment opportunities.
The Chinese side assured the delegation to look into the recommendationsand proposal presented by the members of Pakistani delegation during theseminar.The delegation will also visit Chinese cities of Xian and Nanjing beforeleaving for home from Shanghai. – APP