A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was held here at the Parliament House on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Senator Zeeshan Khanzada.

The session opened with Senator Khanzada questioning the absence of the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and the Federal Secretary, whose attendance was deemed essential under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

The Committee was expecting a detailed briefing on policy initiatives to attract investment from Overseas Pakistanis and enhance employment opportunities for migrant workers abroad.

The key items on the agenda included the proposal to extend the Sehat Card facility to migrant workers and their families- similar to the model implemented by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa- the outcomes of the recent Overseas Pakistanis Convention organized by the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), and pending litigation concerning the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).

Senators Shahadat Awan, Zameer Hussain Ghumro, and Gurdeep Singh expressed strong displeasure over the Minister’s un-notified absence, noting that the Committee had not met for two months and the previous meeting had also been postponed at the Ministry’s request.

The Senators criticized what they described as a lack of respect towards the Parliamentary forum, terming the repeated absences a breach of the Senate’s privilege.

Following their concerns, and with the support of Senator Kazim Ali Shah, Senator Khanzada decided to defer the meeting’s agenda to the first week of May.

He directed that the Committee’s sentiments be formally conveyed to the Minister and the Federal Secretary and instructed them to attend the next meeting with all necessary details and documentation on the discussed matters.