Parliamentarians Ask China To Set Up Engineering, Medical Universities In Pakistan

A Pakistani parliamentary delegation has proposed to their Chinese counterparts to establish engineering and medical universities in Pakistan for those Pakistani students who could not afford to study in China.

BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2018 ) :A Pakistani parliamentary delegation has proposed to their Chinese counterparts to establish engineering and medical universities in Pakistan for those Pakistani students who could not afford to study in China.

"We have proposed to the Chinese officials to establish Pak-China Engineering University and Pak-China Medical University in Pakistan for providing higher education facilities to those students who could not afford to go to China," Riaz Fatyana MNA told APP here on Wednesday.

Fatyana is heading a three-member parliamentary delegation comprising MNAs Junaid Akbar and Mehnaz Akbar Aziz at the third Interregional Seminar on the achievement of SDGs for Parliaments of Developing Countries held here.

The seminar was co-hosted by National People's Congress (NPC) of China and the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU).

He said around 22,000 Pakistani students were currently studying in China and due to which a large amount of foreign exchange was being transferred to China.

Riaz Fatyana said the delegation discussed different issues including the energy sector, roads and railways during the seminar.

"We presented our point of view and our members of the parliament actively participated in different sessions of the seminar," he added.

He informed that during the discussions and debates on various topics, the Pakistani delegation openly showed its concerns over issues including an imbalance in the imports and exports and the debt repayment etc.

"We have informed the Chinese side that Pakistan has surplus wheat and rice and they should import these crops from Pakistan helping us to narrow the gap in the imports and exports," he added.

He said that the government wanted early laying of fibre optic between China and Pakistan as early as possible, adding, "We have proposed to the Chinese companies to come forward and invest in the energy sector particularly renewable energy like wind, solar and hydel in Pakistan." Riaz Fatyana said the delegation also recommended to start work on the social, education and sanitation sectors as well as industrial and economic zones being completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

He said after the revival of economic activities, people would get employment and added that the communication sector was being upgraded.

At present, the energy projects were up to 70 per cent of the CPEC, he said and added, two high voltage power transmission lines were being constructed.

The MNA said that 72 per cent electricity was being produced through coal-powered plants while the remaining hydel and wind electricity projects would be completed at an early date He pointed out that the efficiency of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Plant was not up to the mark as a result of environmental issues and proposed to make efforts to increase its production.

He said the delegation apprised the Chinese side that more Pakistani companies, businessmen, technicians and skilled labours should be engaged in the CPEC projects enabling them to increase their share and get more employment opportunities.

The Chinese side assured the delegation to look into the recommendations and proposal presented by the members of Pakistani delegation during the seminar.

The delegation will also visit Chinese cities of Xian and Nanjing before leaving for home from Shanghai.