Speaker orders action against govt officers absent during NA session

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Raja Parvaiz Ashraf took notice of the absence of senior officers of different ministries from the officials’ gallery on Friday and referred the matter to the Privilege Committee of the House for appropriate action against them.

Members from the Government and Opposition benches have been raising the issue of lethargy shown by officials of concerned ministries to take notes of proceedings during the business of the House relating to them, particularly question hour.

The Speaker on different occasions had issued directives that officers below BS-20 should remain present in galleries to take note of issues being raised in the House.

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) parliamentarian Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali on Friday questioned whether the concerned officers were present in galleries. The Speaker said that he had already issued a ruling which should be implemented.

He directed the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi to check whether concerned officers remain present during question hour in the House. Later, the Minister informed the chair that BS-20 officers from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs were present while officers of the same scale or above from eight ministries did not turn up. The Speaker referred this matter to the Privilege Committee of the House for taking prescribed action against the officers.

Responding to a question during the question hour, Minister for Religious Affairs, Mufti Abdul Shakoor informed the House that selection of welfare staff would be carried out in light of the policy, criteria and procedure approved by the Federal Government for Hajj 2023. He said the welfare staff (Moavineen) shall not be deputed for more than three consecutive years except the Director Welfare Staff (Moavineen).

Replying to a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Services Dr Shazia Sobia said infection with Covid-19 still prevails in the country, but it is under control as over 90 per cent of the Pakistani population has been vaccinated against the pandemic.

To another question, she said that patients’ rush to Government hospitals had increased due to the facility of ‘Sahulat Health Card. However, in addition to the already functioning Poly Clinic, an extension project of the same hospital was being established in Sector G-11 which would help cope with the rush. She said that radiology centres have been established at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Poly Clinic where free-of-cost breast cancer tests would be conducted.

Answering a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Production, Shahida Rehmani said 66 Utility Stores including franchises are currently operating in Chitral to provide necessary items to the people at affordable rates.

She said new Utility Stores will be opened in 15 to 20 days after the completion of the feasibility report and legal formalities.