ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Tuesday that damage assessment survey has been carried out in the flood-affected areas in an impartial manner with the involvement of all stakeholders.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi while responding to a calling attention notice said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) assisted the provincial disaster management authorities in this process. He said the government has effectively highlighted Pakistan’s case regarding climate change impacts at the international level. Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that international partners including the World Bank were also involved in the survey of flood-affected areas.

He rejected the impression that the federal government is responsible for the lapse of Asian Development Bank’s loan of two hundred million dollars for Greater Thal Canal project. He said this soft loan can still be secured if Punjab and Sindh develop consensus on this important project. He said we are ready to facilitate this process.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Hamid Hameed said efforts are afoot to check gas load-shedding in the country. He said a gas load management plan is being implemented at present to ensure that the gas is available to the domestic consumers during cooking times. Alluding to the depletion of gas reserves, he said work is continuing to explore new oil and gas reserves.

The National Assembly on Tuesday also passed a resolution extending the Tax Laws Second Amendment Ordinance 2022 for a further period of one hundred and twenty days. At the outset, the House offered fateha for the departed soul of former MNA Saeed Iqbal. The House has now been prorogued.