ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Syed Muhammad Ashaq Hussain Shah on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that only economically and commercially viable railways sections would be restored.
Replying to a question during Question Hour, he said that the Mandra-Bhaun section (75 Kms long) was closed for traffic in 1991 being commercially non-viable.
He said that the Pakistan Railways apprised the Honorable Supreme Court in August 2009 that it was taking steps to reopen the section and the court directed to submit progress report in the Registrar Office.
Subsequently on the basis of economic analysis, the Registrar Office Supreme Court of Pakistan was informed in July 2012 that operation of this section was not economically and commercially viable.
He said that the said section was a Branch Line and was not included in China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) which was along Karachi-Peshawar Main Line (ML-1). To another question, Parliamentary Secretary Raja Javeed Ikhlas told the House that there was a plan to include Oncology (Cancer) department in the Poly Clinic hospital (FGSH) extension project.
An additional land 2.54 acres for the adjacent Argentina Park has been allocated for this purpose, he added.
After acquiring the possession of land from CDA, Islamabad, it was assured that a modernized building of the hospital would be constructed according to the present needs of increasing population and disease load.
The summary in this regard has already submitted to the Cabinet and approval of land allocation was awaited.
He said recently the Planning Commission was working on the Establishment of a full-fledged Cancer hospital in Islamabad.
The Chairman Planning Commission/Minister of Planning, Development and Reforms Division has formed a committee under Secretary Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination to chalk out the prefeasibility of the project.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Education Dr Darshan apprised the House that Higher Education Commission (HEC) observed trends and demands of courses at the universities.
Currently no proposal was under consideration of the Higher Education Commission to conduct such a survey to assess job opportunities, he added.
However, in order to determine the competencies and skills; produced by Pakistani Institutions of Higher Learning vis-?-vis aspirations of the employers and demand by the local and global markets, a survey was being conducted by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) titled, "Employer Perception Survey".
The survey has already been initiated on January 19 and its report was likely to be received by the end of May.
He said in order to make the curricula more job oriented and to meet the socioeconomic needs of the country, the curricula were developed / reviewed through respective National Curriculum Revision Committees comprising academia, research & development organizations, professionals from the industry,representatives from regulatory bodies, associations and accreditation bodies.
He said these curricula were revised on a standardized template developed in 2007 and so far 98 curricula had been revised.
Dr. Darshan said that the curricula of every subject was updated for new developments, minimum once in four years. Higher Education Commission (HEC) introduced the concept of Associate Degree in the market driven and job oriented subjects in 2011.
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