Islamabad: The Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances convened to address several pressing issues, including the delayed operation of a newly installed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine at the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad. The machine, a donation from Japan, is installed and ready for use, pending the arrival of a Japanese technical team to initiate operations.

The committee, chaired by Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan, learned that Japan will initially oversee the machine’s operation and provide necessary training to local staff. Despite efforts to expedite the technical team’s arrival, including contact attempts as recent as March, the team has yet to arrive. The committee recommended that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs engage with Japanese authorities to expedite the team’s dispatch, ensuring timely benefits for patients.

In other matters, the committee reviewed the status of time scale promotions for female teachers under the Federal Directorate of Education. The Secretary of FDE confirmed that eligible teachers have received their promotions, following assurances by the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training in June 2022.

Additionally, the committee addressed the condition of the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M-1), noting significant rehabilitation efforts covering approximately 135.5 kilometers. Despite improvements, toll plaza congestion remains problematic. The committee urged the mandatory adoption of M-Tag systems to alleviate delays caused by cash payments.

The meeting saw participation from Senator Dost Muhammad Khan, Senator Gurdeep Singh, and senior officers from relevant ministries and departments.