Meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat under the Chairmanship of Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad held 

Islamabad, November 30, 2021 (PPI-OT):Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat met on Monday under the Chairmanship of Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad at the Parliament House. The Committee while fearing the hike in prices of fuel as from 12 rupees /litre in one jump raised question on the authority to decide the fuel prices. The Committee recommended in its meeting that the Parliament should be given discretion to decide the prices of the fuel in the larger interest of the Public.

Public Petition PP – 3880 regarding framing of recruitment rules in respect of regularized civil gazette officer (BS -17) – HOS Frontier corps KP [South] was disposed of with the directions by the Committee to complete the process within a week, for the Establishment to take up the matter according to the rules and attain finality in the form of report to be submitted to the Senate Standing Committee, on the issue, within a fortnight.

It was submitted in the Petition that their regularization further promotion criteria have not yet been formulated and Civil Gazetted Officers in FC-KP (South) are still in the same scale having no career progression including six (06) account officers (BS-17) and Education Officers (BS 17), one (01) Medical Officers (BS -17), one (01) Sub Division Officer and one (01) Public Relation Officer.

The Committee was apprised that the Establishment after incorporating the views of the Ministry of Interior, is agreed upon to finalize a way forward that the civil Gazette officers (BS-17) in FC-KP (South) and FC-KP (North) were not adjusted in accordance with the decision of Cabinet Sub-Committee on regularizing, Ministry of Interior may take up a fresh case with MS Wing Establishment Division for creation of these posts of Civil Gazette Officers (BS-17) in FC-KP (South) and FC-KP (North).

On the point of BS-18 posts, the Ministry of Interior may take up the case with the MS Wing Establishment Division with complete Justification based on increase in functions/workload for creation of these posts along with proposed organogram.

Matter pertaining to Starred Question No. 7 and 8 asked by Senator Walid Iqbal regarding the posting of the officers of National Assembly, Senate, other constitutional bodies and services other than the occupational group as Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners and also as Chief Secretaries of the four Provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK was taken up in detail.

The Establishment Division informed the Committee that the post of the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners are manned by the officers of Pakistan Administrative Services and Provincial Civil Services being their cadre posts as envisaged in the schedule appended with Civil Service of Pakistan (Composition and Cadre) Rules, 1954.

Senator Walid Iqbal held reservations on the appointment of two chief secretaries of Sindh and Baluchistan outside of the Pakistan Administrative Services, when those positions can only be occupied by the officers of the PAS.

“How this exception has been made” Senator Walid stated while deliberating upon the matter. The Committee recommended providing further documentation on the constitutionality continuity of the 1954 Composition and Cadre Rules including the agreement that led to the rules of 1954.

The Committee was also informed by the Establishment Division that the same matter is also sub judice in the Higher Courts, the Federal Tribunal Court, and the Senate Committee on Delegated legislation.

While vetting upon the matter the Committee also raised question to justify the 10 % quota for the officers from other services which severely injures the promotional rights of the officers who have hard earned this position through the competitive exam.

Discussion on Public Petition PP-3745 pertaining to PTDC, submitted by Malik Muhammad Khan, Chairman MK Pakistan could not be taken up on account of repeated absence of the representative from Baluchistan Government. The Committee directed the Establishment to write a letter to the Baluchistan Government to adhere to the directions of Senate Committee and show appearance in order to dispose of the matter at its earliest.

The meeting was attended by Senators, Moula Bux Chandio, Engr. Rukhsana Zuberi, Saadia Abbasi, Muhammad Talha Mahmood and Walid Iqbal. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan, along with senior officers from the Cabinet Division and their attached departments were also in attendance.

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