ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said that 120 electric buses would be imported by December the following year.

“Next year we will start assembling the buses. We will try to convert the entire public transport in Islamabad into electric-powered,” said Fawad Chaudhry while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

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He said Pakistan would have such powerful batteries that every household would be able to make one. If we could not manufacture batteries now then we would not be able to achieve this in next 20 years, he maintained.

“We are introducing the policy of alternate energy in Pakistan. We will be able to produce alternate energy in next 10 years,” he said.

On the cabinet’s approval to grant first license for usage of hemp for industrial and medicinal purpose, the federal minister said Potohar region was suitable for industrial hemp including Peshawar, Chakwal and Jhelum areas as their climatic conditions support growth of hemp.

“Hemp is being mistaken as poppy or addictive marijuana, while this is a different non-addictive plant. This can be used for severe pain, depression. It is also used in medicines of cancer since revolutionary researches surfaced regarding this in 2016,” he added.

He said production and processing of hemp would develop into a couple of billion dollars industry. “Hemp seeds make hemp oil, leaves make medicines and its stem makes fiber which could help our textile industry as it could be used in place of cotton,” he said.