A parliamentary panel on Tuesday decided to verify the domiciles of 95 employees of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) belonging to the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) from their respective parliamentarians. The Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances, chaired by Chairman Agha Shahbaz Khan Durrani, was informed that earlier the domiciles of 92 employees belonging to the Fata, out of 95, were verified by the bureaucracy while three domiciles would be verified soon.
Senator Taj Muhammad Afridi had asked a question during a sitting of the Senate on March 3, 2016 with respect to domicile verification of 95 employees of Fata, presently working in the PIA, and subsequently an assurance was given by the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on behalf of the minister in-charge of the aviation division. Afridi said there were suspicions about the domicile of PIA employees belonging to Fata and that was why the issue was raised; however, the bureaucracy gave them a clean-chit.
The committee also held further discussion on the present status of assurance given by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs on behalf of the minister for capital administration and development division in response to a calling attention notice moved by Senator Chaudhary Tanveer Khan regarding dumping of garbage and waste into Nullah Leh.
The committee was informed that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) had approved the Nullah Leh project in 2007 with an estimated cost of Rs 1.8 billion to address the aforementioned issue. It was the project of the government of Punjab and Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and was being considered an excellent project for the city.
The committee was further informed that 50 percent funds were to be carried by provincial and federal governments each. The contract was being awarded to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), while the Nespak was hired as consultant for the project. The committee expressed serious concern observing that most of the projects of the national interest were confined to files due to the irresponsible attitude and flawed planning. Projects worth millions of rupees are then completed in billions of rupees, the committee observed, directing that all the relevant details regarding the project be presented in the next meeting.
The committee was informed about the conditions in public hospitals of Islamabad. There are 2,100 beds in public hospitals of the federal capital, while 5,000 patients visit Pakistan Institute Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital on daily basis. There are 52 beds in Emergency Department of this hospital while 1,700 patients visit there. There is also huge rush in Policlinic Hospital, Islamabad.
The committee expressed serious concerns over the increasing number of patients and recommended for increasing the OPD duration and funds as well. Senator Siraj-ul-Haq said that public hospitals in the federal capital should be made role model for the provinces. Executive Director Polyclinic said PC-2 for expansion of Polyclinic project would be prepared soon.
Regarding the land provision for district hospital in Tarlai area of Islamabad, the Additional Secretary Interior informed the committee that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had constituted a committee, which was working on proposals and steps to ensure the provision of health facilities to general public. "Land has been acquired for the district hospital and the project is on tendering stage; however, it would not be constructed through Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD)," he added.