ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology passed the bill, “The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023”.
Senator Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, mover of the bill, stated that the bill aimed at strengthening the parliamentary oversight over the AGP’s reports on Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority and made it obligatory on the AGP’s to present the financial audit of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority in both houses of the parliament.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology was held here on Wednesday with Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen in the chair.
The Senate body also deliberated on the bill titled, “The Pakistan Halal Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023” introduced by Senator Taimur.
Officials stated that the amendments proposed in the bill, have already been incorporated in the Rules and Regulations of the Pakistan Halal Authority and the international standards are also being followed in the certification of the products.
Senator Taimur requested that the rules and regulations of the Pakistan Hilal Authority should be shared before the committee. The committee deferred the deliberations on the bill till the upcoming meeting.
A public petition submitted by candidate Waleed bin Mushtaq addressing discrepancies in the recruitment process conducted by PSQCA was thoroughly discussed.
Waleed informed the committee that the hurried manner in which the recruitment process was executed indicates questionable intentions on the part of the department.
He further argued that candidates were not provided with the date and time of the written test, and some who qualified for interviews received interview letters after the interviews had already taken place the day before. Additionally, Waleed alleged that the PSQCA administration treated him disrespectfully when he sought clarification regarding the entire recruitment process.
The committee chairman expressed deep concern over this situation, acknowledging that he had received numerous complaints of a similar nature.
The secretary of the ministry assured the committee that the entire recruitment process had been annulled, and a thorough inquiry was underway. The report of this investigation will be shared with the committee within one month. Furthermore, the committee was briefed on the current status of the recommendation, made by the standing committee in the previous meeting.
The PSQCA informed that a contempt application has been filed against the cement industry, as they were not complying with the Supreme Court’s order to pay the marking fee for using the PSQCA logo and the ministry is working tirelessly for timely disposal of the cases.
Additionally, regarding the matter of COMSAT University Islamabad (CUI) in Quetta, officials apprised that an agreement between PCSIR and CUI was signed on April 20,2023 for establishing the CUI Quetta camp office in the PCSIR premises and the necessary approval of HEC will be initiated once the premises handed over to CUI.
While discussing the pay scale matter of COMSATS employees, officials informed that pay scale of COMSAT employees have been revised as per the committee recommendation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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