Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis & HRD Expresses Displeasure Over Minister’s Absence
The Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis defers meeting amid frustration over Minister’s absence. The Committee aims to discuss migrant workers' health coverage and overseas employment policies.
Meeting Deferred Amid Concerns of Parliamentary Disrespect
Date: April 25, 2025 | Time: 11:30 AM
Reported by: Imtiaz Ali Abbasi, Chief Reporter Islamabad
Watts News, The Largest Digital News Network Pakistan
Islamabad – The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development convened at the Parliament House under the Chairmanship of Senator Zeeshan Khanzada. However, the meeting saw significant concern raised by the Committee members over the unexplained absence of the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and the Federal Secretary.
Senator Zeeshan Khanzada opened the session by questioning the non-appearance of the key Ministry officials whose presence was deemed mandatory under the Senate’s Rules of Procedure. Their attendance was crucial to brief the Committee on vital policy steps aimed at encouraging Overseas Pakistanis to invest in Pakistan and to broaden employment avenues for migrant workers abroad.
The agenda for the meeting included proposals to extend the Sehat Card facility to migrant workers and their families, in line with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa model. The Committee was also scheduled to review the achievements of the recent Overseas Pakistanis Convention organized by the OPF and address the lingering legal issues surrounding the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).
Senators Shahadat Awan, Zameer Hussain Ghumro, and Gurdeep Singh expressed serious reservations over the repeated absence of the Minister and relevant officials. They criticized the Ministry for requesting the previous meeting’s postponement and then failing to appear this time as well. The Senators emphasized that they had traveled from remote areas and rescheduled prior commitments to attend the meeting, and considered the Ministry’s neglect a breach of the Senate’s privilege.
In response, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada accepted the request of Senators Shahadat Awan, Zameer Ghumro, Gurdeep Singh, and Kazim Ali Shah to defer the agenda until the first week of May 2025. The Chairman instructed that the Committee’s strong sentiments be communicated to both the Minister and the Federal Secretary and urged them to attend the next meeting fully prepared with comprehensive data and documents.
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Tags:
Senate of Pakistan, Overseas Pakistanis Ministry, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, Sehat Card for Overseas Pakistanis, OPF Convention, EOBI Cases, Watts News, Human Resource Development
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