Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has condemned the unfortunate and sad incident of Pahalgam
Senate Secretariat
Media Directorate
Islamabad; 24 April 2025;
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has condemned the unfortunate and sad incident of Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) in strongest possible words and has also expressed deep sense of sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the incident.
The chairman Senate termed the accusations leveled by the India against Pakistan as baseless. He said that India has always tried to divert attention from the gross Human rights violations being committed by its forces in the occupied Kashmir.
The chairman Senate also condemned the Indian government’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. He called upon the global. Community to take notice of acts which aim to jeopardize the regional peace.
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Senate Health Committee Approves Key Legislative Proposals, Calls for Centralized Health Data and Mental Health Reforms
PRESS RELEASE
Islaabad, April 24, 2025 — The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination presided over by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chisti met today at Parliament House. The Committee reviewed key legislative proposals concerning healthcare policy, medical regulation, and mental health reform.
Among those in attendance were Senators Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui, Saleem Mandviwalla, Syed Masroor Ahsan, Muhammad Abdul Qadir, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Mohsin Aziz, Former Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Minister for NHSR&C Mustafa Kamal, Secretary M/o NHSR&C, and senior officials from relevant departments.
The session commenced with the consideration of the Private Member’s Bill titled “The National Institute of Health (Reorganization) (Amendment) Bill, 2024”, introduced by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. Senator Mandviwalla underscored Pakistan’s lack of centralized data on cancer prevalence and types, emphasizing that despite previous assurances from the federal government, no concrete action had been taken. He stated that the bill aims to catalyze the creation of a national cancer registry.
Minister, NHSR&C Mustafa Kamal informed the Committee that the Bill has been sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for legal review and affirmed the government’s support for its objectives. He also outlined a broader initiative to develop a centralized national health data system by integrating medical records with national identity cards. In collaboration with NADRA, the federal health department is preparing to launch a unified health ID card system. The project, expected to be completed within three years, is now moving toward formal agreement after a series of detailed meetings with NADRA, he informed. After detailed discussion, the Committee unanimously passed the bill.
Next, the Committee took up the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri. She highlighted the urgent need to address gaps in postnatal mental health care, citing a tragic case in Nawabshah in which a mother fatally harmed her children. She emphasized that such cases often go undiagnosed due to the absence of clear practitioner guidelines. Minister Mustafa Kamal acknowledged the concern and agreed on the necessity of establishing protocols to guide mental health professionals. The Committee unanimously approved the bill.
“The Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2025”, introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz, was also discussed. Senator Aziz raised his concerns over the lack of progress since the Bill’s introduction in January and highlighted the inconsistent pricing of diagnostic tests across laboratories. He stressed the need for administrative regulation to standardize healthcare costs and end the widespread practice of price shopping. The Chairman Committee while acknowledging senator’s concern also supported the call to regulate the pricing of second-tier medical equipment. The Minister suggested one month time period to implement an effective strategy to address the issue and the Committee decided to defer the Bill for further review.
The Committee also reviewed “the Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2025”, introduced by Senator Kamran Murtaza. After brief discussion, the Committee recommended that the Bill be referred to the House with a proposal to forward it to the Ministry of Law and Justice for legal vetting.
Moreover, Former Deputy Chairman Senate, Mirza Muhammad Afridi also raised concerns about the reduction in medical seats for FATA students from 333 originally allocated seats to 194. He urged the Ministry to issue a letter and also requested that minor delays in student attendance be exempted from merit calculations. The Minister responded that the issue is receiving serious attention and that plans are underway to restore the original seat allocation. He reassured the Committee that 333 seats have already been earmarked for the upcoming academic year and that implementation is in progress.
In his concluding remarks, Chairman Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti commended the Ministry for its efforts toward improving health services. He further recommended that the concerns raised by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri regarding new examination regulations for PMDC students be discussed in detail at the Committee’s next meeting.
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