The Upper House of parliament was told on Thursday about the successful agreements to import electricity from Iran on low rates.
Senators Lashker Raisani and Ismail Baladi, who were part of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) delegation that visited Iran to negotiate power imports on low tariff rates, briefed the Senate on the agreements.
Baladi told the Senate that it was after three years that the agreement to import electricity for Makran Division was signed, saying that there was a dispute on tariff rates as Iran was offering electricity at Rs 13 per unit while Pakistan wanted it at the rate of Rs 7 per unit. Initially, Iran would provide 35.7 megawatts (MW) of electricity at Rs 7 per unit to the Makran Division from the next month, Baledi said.
Senator Abdur Rahim Mandokhel asked the government to install a Dera Ismail Khan-Zhob-Quetta transmission line to address the lack of power permanently.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, in reply to a point of order, told the House that a ban on mobile phone services was imposed in Bannu because of security reasons and pressed the House to reassess the situation before taking further decision in this regard. The interior minister also said the prime minister had convened a committee to resolve the Karachi Electric Supply Company issue.
To another point of order, the interior minister urged the Senate Standing Committee on Interior to finalise amendments in the Anti-Terrorism Act soon for an effective prosecution of anti-social elements. He said that National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Act would be presented in parliament for approval after the cabinet approved it.
The Senate also passed the Recognition and Enforcement (Arbitration Agreements and Foreign Arbitral Awards) Bill of 2010. Law Minister Maula Baksh Chandio had presented the bill to provide for the recognition and enforcement of arbitration and agreements and foreign arbitral awards.