ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs Thursday approved three bills – “The Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) – with majority moved by the government.

The meeting presided by Mir Amer Ali Khan Magsi considered the government-sponsored bills and recommended with majority that all these bills may be passed by the Assembly. However, Abdul Qadir Patel and Kesoo Mal Kheel Das submitted their note of dissent.

The representatives of the Ministry opposed the amendment on the ground that the issue is already under consideration at various forums to resolve the issue hence, the amendment in hand is not required whereas some of the members of the committee pointed out that for rectification of the error committed during approval of the previous budget the instant bill is moved hence it should be passed by the National Assembly. After detailed deliberations, the committee unanimously recommended that the bill may be passed by the NA.

The committee was briefed about the PSDP for financial year 2021-22. The committee unanimously approved the PSDP. It was briefed about the project of construction of KPT Easterbay expressway (Ex-Preiphery Road), at Easter Backwaters.

The committee was informed that major area of land is under encroachment since for quite long. Various attempts had been made in the past to vacate the same but in vain.

The committee unanimously recommended that the concerned authorities shall conduct a survey and brief the committee within thirty days positively about the exact area of land under encroachment and total number of population residing there. It was also recommended by the committee that the authorities shall also suggest a suitable alternate arrangement for shifting the population from there.

It was also noticed by the committee there is the issue of blockage and congestion of containers at Pakistan International Container Terminal which needs the attention of the authorities.

Representative of the ministry informed the committee that the issue of blockage is due to the reason that these containers lack their clearance from the FBR, Custom Department as well as the ANF.

As per rule without all these departments containers are not allowed to proceed for boarding. In view of the above, the committee recommended that the representative of all three departments be called in the next meeting to brief the committee about the issue of delayed clearance.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021