Islamabad, The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, chaired by Senator Saadia Abbasi, convened at Parliament House on Thursday, leading to the unanimous passage of several significant bills and a detailed review of the membership criteria for the Islamabad Club.
According to Senate of Pakistan, saw the passage of the “Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2023.” Senator Shahadat Awan, who moved the bill, explained its objective is to extend promotion benefits to civil servants recommended by the Central Selection Board but who could not receive them due to death or superannuation before the issuance of the promotion notification. Despite opposition from the Establishment Division, which called the amendment unnecessary and legally redundant, the committee passed the bill.
The “Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” was also unanimously passed with amendments. Senator Shahadat Awan highlighted that the amendment specifies eligibility criteria for private members of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, requiring a minimum of 15 years of experience in public administration, economics, legal matters, finance, or related technical fields.
Another key bill, the “Pakistan Names and Emblems (Prevention of Unauthorized Use) (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” was unanimously approved. Senator Awan stressed that the bill aims to curb the unauthorized use of Pakistan’s names and emblems, proposing a significant increase in fines from 5,000 to 50,000 rupees.
Additionally, the committee was briefed on the criteria for granting membership to the Islamabad Club, along with the recent enhancement of membership fees. Officials reported that the Club has about 9,812 members across various categories and grants approximately 200 memberships annually, with a current waiting list of 4 to 5 years. Concerns were raised by Senator Kamil Ali Agha about the substantial increase in the security deposit and service fee without members’ consent. Senator Abbasi directed the Establishment Division to address these grievances within two months.
Present at the meeting were Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Senator Muhammad Akram, Senator Moula Bux Chandio, Senator Khalida Ateeb, Senator Shahadat Awan, Caretaker Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi, the Secretary of the Establishment Division, the Secretary of the Islamabad Club, and other senior officials from relevant departments.