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ISLAMABAD: The members of a Senate committee will be meeting in Karachi on Monday to review financial and administrative matters related to the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum.
The sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, headed by Senator Nehal Hashmi of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), will also “look into security matters” inside and around the mausoleum, according to the agenda of the meeting issued by the Senate Secretariat.
The committee will “identify deficient areas” and prepare its recommendations for the main committee after holding talks with relevant stakeholders.
Financial and administrative matters to be reviewed
The meeting, which was earlier scheduled to be held on August 8, will be held in the office of the Resident Engineer of the Quaid-i-Azam Mazar Management Board.
Meanwhile, parliamentary leader of Pakistan People’s Party Saeed Ghani has decided to resign as member of the sub-committee and nominated PPP’s Dr Karim Ahmed Khawaja to represent the party in the meeting.
When contacted, Mr Ghani said that he had already informed Mr Hashmi about his decision to quit the committee.
Mr Ghani said that he had decided to come out of the committee after his recent appointment as adviser to newly elected Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
Dr Ashok Kumar of the National Party (NP) is the other member of the sub-committee, whereas Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid is its ex-officio member.
The members of the main committee, headed by Kamil Ali Agha of the PML-Q, had formed the sub-committee in its meeting held on May 27 to visit the Mazar-i-Quaid Complex without prior intimation and see conditions and present its report.
The committee had in its previous meetings reportedly called for allocation of more funds for the Quaid Complex and also given directives that Rs10 ticket per entry into the complex be abolished.
The committee was informed that 146 employees were working at the Mazar-i-Quaid and as part of its security arrangements, 100 Pakistan Army personnel, 40 Rangers, 20 policemen and 60 private security guards had been deputed there.
Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2016
