A parliamentary panel on Thursday asked the management of Gun & Country Club (GCC) Islamabad to pay salaries to its 107 employees whose services were terminated after they staged a protest to show solidarity with their colleague who was allegedly assaulted by Federal Minister Daniyal Aziz, who is also the administrator of the club.
The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was held with Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood in the chair. The committee directed the GCC management to pay salaries to its 107 employees within three days; otherwise the committee will move a privilege motion against the management. Administration & Finance Manager GCC, Yasir Javaid told the committee that despite the court's orders, the GCC management has not paid salaries to its 107 employees for the last nine months.
Secretary GCC Athar Rauf Bhatti said club management has not received the judgment of the court so far. On this the committee handed over the judgment of Islamabad High Court (IHC) to the secretary GCC in which the court asked the GCC to pay salaries to its 107 employees.
Yasir told the committee that on January 7, 2017, Aziz thrashed and swore at him after he challenged his order to transfer the charge of administration manager to another official, namely Admin Assistant Manager Nauman Afzal. He claimed that Afzal was previously working in a non-governmental organization (NGO) run by the wife of Aziz.
"Aziz called me in his office and started slapping and hitting me, while the secretary GCC and admin assistant manager were holding me," he further said. However, the GCC secretary rejected the allegations leveled by Yasir against him and Aziz and said that he (Yasir) is telling a lie and the matter is something else.
The committee also took up a bill related to 'The Islamabad Gun & Country Club (Administration and Management) Act, 2017' moved by Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati. The secretary GCC said that the mover of the bill has given suggestion about shooting in the club which has been forwarded to Ministry of Law for legal opinion.
The committee passed a bill seeking amendment in section 4 of 'The Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal Act, 1991 (I of 1992)'. The bill was moved by Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja seeking establishment of rehabilitation centers for the children generally and provision of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy to the children suffering from cerebral palsy, in particular, in order to improve their quality of life.
The parliamentary body while discussing a bill related to 'The Islamabad Club Administration and Management Act, 2017,' moved by Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, asked the club management to submit details of appointments of administrator and members of management committee for the last six years. The committee discussed the bill in detail and decided to make the bill more effective.
Talha Mahmood said that the matter related to Islamabad Club will be discussed in detail during the next meeting, as objections had been raised over audit reports and forensic audit had been ordered. Sikandar Ismail Khan of member management committee said that the club has opposed the bill.
The committee also discussed a bill related to 'The Real Estate (regulation and development) Act, 2017,' moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz, seeking establishment of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in order to regulate and promote the real estate sector in Pakistan.
Mohsin Aziz said that many countries have set up real estate regularity authorities; therefore, RERA should be set up in the country to deal with the matters of different housing societies. Member Estate CDA told the committee that CDA has opposed the bill as it is contradictory to CDA's Ordinance and regulations.
On this, Senator Aziz said that the CDA Ordinance was framed for the benefit of people and the bill he moved will also serve the same purpose. The committee directed CDA to review the bill within one week and give detailed presentation during the next meeting regarding the matter.