ISLAMABAD: Meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Thursday formed a sub-committee headed by secretary Cabinet Division to discuss The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in light of the Supreme Court’s judgment.
The committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Rana Maqbool Ahmad.
The committee discussed the “The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2021” moved by Senator Afnan Ullah Khan in the Senate sitting held on 17th January2022.
The secretary Establishment Division informed the Committee that it was indispensable to take the Ministry of Interior’s point of view on amendment.
Senator Afnan Ullah Khan inquired the Establishment Division that how many people will be affected by this amendment. In reply to that, the secretary Establishment Division replied that approximately 20,000 people came under the radar of this amendment.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan was of view that the government servants should not have dual nationality during their service because one person cannot be loyal with two countries at the same time.
Chairman Committee Rana Maqbool Ahmad directed the secretaries of the Cabinet Division and the Interior Ministry to make sure their presence in the next meeting and conveyed their perspective to the Committee on the aforementioned amendment.
While discussing the Central Selection Board’s recent decisions, Senator Dilawar Khan demanded the Establishment Division to provide reasons behind the supersession of officers. The officers who were superseded on any grounds of corruption shall be forced to retire, he further added. Ali Muhammad Khan briefed the Committee that the concerned matter is sub judice in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and according to rules and procedure of the Senate this matter cannot be discussed in the Committee.
The Chairman Committee, Rana Maqbool Ahmad, was of the view that there is no harm in giving report to the Committee regarding the issue in hand.
Senator Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur stressed that the Cabinet Division should present score card of the officers who were superseded to the Committee.
It is Prime Minister Imran Khan’s foremost priority to enhance tax collection and irony is that as of right now the FBR officers are sitting in High Court for their promotion, she added.
The secretary Establishment Division conveyed that the information is classified and he is not at liberty to discuss it with the Committee. Maqool Ahmad directed the secretary Establishment Division to present report in the next meeting and said that the Committee will hold its in-camera session of this agenda, keeping in view the classification of information.
The meeting was attended by senators, Saadia Abbasi, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Kamil Ali Agha, Khalida Ateeb, Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Afnan Ullah Khan, Dilawar Khan, Minister of State for Parliament Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, secretary Establishment Division, and other senior officials from the Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Interior as well.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022