ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination informed the National Assembly on Monday that there are currently 84,421 registered HIV/Aids patients in Pakistan.
In a reply to a question in the National Assembly during the Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Nelson Azeem, said that measures are being taken to address the issue in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and in collaboration with international agencies. Nelson Azeem stated that the highest number of cases has been reported in Punjab, followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. He highlighted that transmission can occur through practices such as barber services, dental procedures, and other related factors.
Answering further questions from Zahra Wadood Fatimi, the parliamentary secretary said that awareness campaigns on HIV/Aids are ongoing and laboratory monitoring is being conducted. He added that the federal capital has 2,001 medical facilities, where arrangements for proper disposal of medical waste have been made. Azeem also mentioned the establishment of a portal and website for lodging complaints, monitored by 24 dedicated inspection teams that conduct daily checks.
Furthermore, he said that 80 per cent of hospitals have been instructed to implement integrated waste management systems. While responding to another question during the Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Muhammad Usman Awaisi informed the National Assembly that Pakistan Railways has witnessed an increase in freight operations and is planning to extend its ML-1 project connectivity to Istanbul. He added that a significant portion of railway-owned land has been returned.
Speaking during the Question Hour, Owaisi said that freight revenue declined in 2023 due to floods, but the sector has since returned to profitability.
He further stated that 820 freight wagons were planned for addition, of which 538 have been deployed, while out of 230 planned passenger coaches, 60 have been added. Work is also underway to improve railway tracks. He further said that the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train service is planned to resume by the end of this year.
The parliamentary secretary informed that the private sector is being encouraged to invest in the freight sector through track access and terminal development. He added that Pakistan Railways has successfully auctioned two cargo train operations running between Karachi–Lahore and Karachi–Multan–Faisalabad.
Replying to another question, the Parliamentary Secretary told the House that, at present, the facility for purchasing railway tickets through bank cards is not available at any railway station. He stated that this is primarily due to the non-availability of telecommunication (telco) services across the Pakistan Railways network, particularly on Main Line-1 (ML-1).
Alternative digital payment mechanisms are available through the RABTA (Railway Automated Booking and Travel Assistance) App, as well as mobile financial services, wherein payment gateways have been integrated. He stated that Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) have been installed at 57 major commercial stations for passenger facilitation, and it is expected that the facility for payment through bank cards will be made available by the end of the current financial year. Although the provision of Point of Sale (POS) machines has already been contracted under a Government-to-Government (G2G) framework, the same could not be implemented due to these constraints.
He stated that Pakistan Railways has, however, initiated the Railway Advanced Infrastructure Network project to provide high-speed broadband internet through optical fiber at major stations, which will facilitate the smooth implementation of bank card payment systems.
In reply to another question, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the National Assembly that the Public Works Department (PWD) has been closed following consultations with the provinces, but salaries or pensions have not been stopped.
At the federal level, he said its responsibilities have been transferred to the Capital Development Authority, while in the provinces, PIDCL is managing its functions. Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry explained that Public Sector Development Programme projects in the provinces are now executed by the respective provincial development agencies.“The PWD was officially closed in 2024, and technical staff were offered golden handshake packages or placed in a surplus pool, while maintenance staff were transferred to provincial authorities,” he said. He added that the provinces were fully consulted before the department’s closure.
