ISLAMABAD Dispelling the impression that the Government was not buying electricity on cheaper rates, Minister for Water & Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Thursday, said that Iran had raised the rates of electricity from 5 cent per unit to 11.5 cent per unit while Pakistan is currently buying 139MW electricity from Iran. Responding to a point of order raised by Riaz Hussain Pirzada in the National Assembly, Pervaiz Ashraf said that presently Iran was providing 39MW of electricity for Gwadar. On completion of the agreement period, the deal is being re-negotiated and Iran is demanding 11.5 cent per unit price as against five cents previously. Another agreement has been signed with Iran for import of 100 MW of electricity and necessary infrastructure is being constructed for the purpose. Under another agreement signed last year, Iran would supply 1,000MW of electricity to Pakistan. However, for this purpose Iran will first lay a 400km long gas pipeline from Zahidan to Pakistan border for establishment of a thermal unit for supply of electricity to Pakistan. The project will take at least five years. The Minister said the government was also interested in importing electricity from Tajikistan but that too was a long-term project. Responding to a point raised by Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, the Minister denied that mark-up on the circular debt was also passed on to power consumers. Meanwhile, while replying to a call attention notice moved by Aamir Ali Khan Magsi, Fauzia Wahab and others Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin said Rs14 billion had been allocated for the programme to control hepatitis B and C. Meanwhile, PML-Q staged walkout from the National Assembly against what they called pre-poll rigging in the by-election of PP-111 Gujrat. Speaking on a point of order Ameer Muqam alleged Punjab government for terrorising the people and insulting the women at polling stations. However, Khawaja Saad Rafique said that PML-Q remained contesting till 5 pm and at 9pm they started protests and blaming opponents. He alleged that PML-Q workers attacked a polling station. He thanked Pakistan Peoples Party for supporting PML-N candidate in Gujrat. He alleged that Wajahat Force had grabbed the land of innocent civilians in Gujrat and it had become a no go area. Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Muhammad Tariq Khattak during question hour told the House that Pakistan was keenly pursuing the gas pipeline project from Turkmenistan. He said that the last ministerial meeting on the project was held in April 2008 but the next meeting in October could not be held due to lukewarm response by Indian side. He said Turkmenistan had proposed to hold the steering committee and technical working group meetings in mid April. The Parliamentary Secretary said the Iran Gas Pipeline Project was progressing well as all issues had been settled. The first phase of the project was for a gas volume of 750 million cubic feet per day and supplies were to arrive by mid 2015. He informed the House that 15 oil and gas discoveries were made during the last two years. To another question he said Saindak Metal Ltd was producing copper and on the basis of last five years average Balochistan will get annual royalty of 195 million rupees. The province will also get a royalty of about Rs5.4 billion a year from Reko Diq Copper Gold Project. Responding to another question the Parliamentary Secretary said 8,177 million cubic feet of gas pilferage was being practised in the country since March 2008. He said Sui Northern Gas Company (SNG) was adopting new technologies including procurement of ground penetrating radar to unearth theft of gas. Minister for Environment Hameedullah Jan Afridi told the House that the Capital Development Authority was identifying an alternate site for re-location of I-9 and I-10 sectors-based industrial units causing environmental pollution. During question hour, he told that potentially 116 units were generating pollution. He said steel melting furnaces had been identified as the major source of pollution. Pakistan Environmental Agency has closed down 4 furnaces for causing excessive pollution and issued orders for installation of anti-pollution equipment in all the steel furnaces operating in these Sectors, he told.