The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat Thursday discussed the “The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2021” moved by Senator Afnan Ullah Khan in the Senate sitting held on January 17. Secretary Establishment Division informed the committee that it was indispensable to took Ministry of Interior point of view on that amendment.
A sub-committee had also been formed headed by Secretary Cabinet division to discuss this amendment in light of Supreme Court judgment, he added. Senator Afnan Ullah Khan inquired the Establishment Division that how many people would be affected by this amendment. In reply to that, Secretary Establishment division replied that approximately twenty thousand people came under the radar of this amendment.
Minister of State for Parliament Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan was of view that government servants should not have dual nationality during their service because one person could not be loyal with two countries at the same time.
Chairman Committee Rana Maqbool Ahmad directed the secretaries of cabinet division and 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 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The officers who were superseded on any grounds of corruption would be forced to retired, he added. Ali Muhammad Khan briefed the committee that the concerned matter was sub juiced in Lahore High Court and according to rules and procedure of Senate, this matter could not be discussed in the committee meeting.
Rana Maqbool Ahmad was of view that there was 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 Senator Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur stressed that the Cabinet Division should present score card of officers who were superseded to the committee.
Secretary Establishment Division conveyed that the information was classified and he was not at liberty to discuss it with the Committee. Rana Maqool Ahmad directed the Secretary Establishment Division to present report in the next meeting and said that the committee would held its in camera session of this agenda, keeping in view the classification of information. The meeting was attended by Senators including 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 cabinet Division and ministry of Interior as well.
