ISLAMABAD: A Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat convened at Parliament House to examine various issues, including dual nationality disclosure among government servants, mobile phone duties, and the implementation of satellite internet services.

According to Senate of Pakistan, the meeting was chaired by Senator Rana Mahmood Ul Hassan and attended by Senators Saadia Abbasi, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Dilawar Khan, and Shahadat Awan. The session reviewed the progress of previous recommendations, deferring the compliance report on attempts permitted in the FPSC examination for CSS due to absent members. Additionally, the Committee discussed a fire incident at the Customs State Warehouse in Quetta, finding no direct evidence of arson but recommending further investigation.

The Committee received briefings from various officials on the status of dual nationality disclosures among government officers. Out of approximately 2,900 officers, 1,095 have submitted declarations, with 95 declaring foreign nationality. A summary has been sent to the Prime Minister to proceed against those who have not disclosed, with non-disclosure potentially amounting to misconduct.

The discussion also covered mobile phone duties, where the Committee examined the depreciation policy for customs valuation of old and used mobile phones. Proposals for changes in the valuation system are under consideration, with discussions on lowering duties to encourage wider smartphone ownership. The Committee recommended inviting the Tax Policy Office and FBR to provide a briefing within a month.

The Committee was briefed on SIM issuance through the NADRA PakID application, which aims to implement multi-biometric verification due to challenges with fingerprint verification for elderly citizens. Recent cases of SIM and bank fraud were highlighted, urging solutions for citizens unable to provide biometrics.

On satellite internet services, the Committee was informed about the progress on frameworks for satellite service registration and issuance of NOCs, with PTA finalizing its framework and PSARB working on its regulatory framework. The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with delays in data provision and requested a prompt response from the Islamabad Club.

Several items were deferred, including discussions on the 5G rollout, aircraft radio licenses, and electricity tariffs for the telecom sector.