ISLAMABAD: The federal government Thursday introduced ‘The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020’ for smooth running of official business of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Karachi, in the National Assembly.

The government also laid the ‘Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020’ before the House for providing access of telecommunication services to the people in the un-served, under-served, rural and remote areas and to provide e-health and e-education learning across the Pakistan to meet basic necessities of life due to Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Zaheerud Din Babar Awan introduced the bill and laid ordinance before the House.

The House also adopted a motion moved by the advisor to allow the use of the chamber of the National Assembly on the day as may be announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan for election to fill seats in the Senate from the federal capital, Islamabad.

Earlier, Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed informed the House that the National Highways Authority (NHA) was planning to establish Emergency Response Centre for the accidents' victims to provide immediate relief.

Replying questions during the question hour, the minister told that the centre would be established in a phased programme for the provision of first aid medical services to the accident victims.

In order to determine the magnitude of accidents on motorways and highways and identify reasons behind increasing trend of accidents, he said the National Transport Research Centre (NTRC) was working on a project "Accident Data and Cost Study."

He said accidents’ data from 2013 to 2017 from across the country from the police and the health departments had been collected.

After completing the case study, the center would be able to assess the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the country, he added.

He said the ministry had taken several steps to control accidents including patrolling, speed checking, road safety briefing, awareness and sensitization walks, seminars, workshops, lectures, presentations, and distribution of printed road safety material in the shape of brochures, booklets, and pamphlets etcetera.

He said the PPP and the PML-N were seeking national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) but Prime Minister Imran Khan would not provide them an escape route at any cost..—NAVEED BUTT