The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee was displeased with the payment of Euro 20,380 by the Pakistan Embassy, Madrid to Spanish labour court for terminating the local staff.
The standing committee meeting held at the Parliament House on Saturday with Mushahid Hussain Sayed in the chair reviewed the recent scandal as reported in the press and said Pakistan Ambassador Hassan Sarmad had failed to satisfy the labour court.
The committee was also not satisfied with the reports of incidents in Spain where a large number of Pakistani citizens fell victims to unscrupulous elements, because of insufficient knowledge of the country's law, and said it is the duty of Pakistan's missions to help their citizens who are stranded abroad. The standing committee desired a comprehensive report from the ministry of foreign affairs before June 25, regarding this and similar other matters.
The committee observed that it is the duty of Pakistan mission to assist Pakistani citizens. However, the committee received a briefing from the ministry of foreign affairs special secretary on the details of the passport case, and said the ministry had investigated the matter and the official found involved in the scam were withdrawn from the embassy and surrendered to the establishment division as a punishment.