ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Friday expressed solidarity with civil servants and recommended assigning printing work to Pakistan Printing Corporation (PCP).

The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat met at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan. Senators Saadia Abbasi, Mohammad Abdul Qadir and Aimal Wali Khan attended, along with senior officials from various ministries and departments.

The committee took up the affairs of the Pakistan Printing Corporation. Its managing director reported that he had cleared a major backlog but highlighted that the government had stopped assigning printing jobs to PCP due to past delays. PCP currently had 365 employees and offices in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. However, it faced challenges of outdated machinery, shortage of staff, and human resource issues.

The committee strongly recommended that government ministries and departments stop outsourcing printing work to private firms and instead assign such jobs to PCP. It also directed immediate steps for the release of pending salaries of PCP employees in Karachi

The statement issued here said the committee reviewed the National School of Public Policy (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Under the amendment, the prime minister will nominate members of the board instead of the federal cabinet.

The Establishment Division explained that the cabinet could not manage the appointments of hundreds of officers as it distracted from its key duties. After discussion, the committee unanimously approved the bill as introduced in the Senate.

The committee also discussed the Protection of Rights of Regularised Civil Servants, a matter referred by the Senate chairman. Members were told that a related bill had already been introduced in the National Assembly. It was further noted that the prime minister had directed ministries to submit reports, including financial implications, for giving legal protection to contractual and daily-wage employees. Expressing solidarity with affected employees and their families, the committee decided to review the matter again after its outcome in the National Assembly.

The managing director of the Federal Employees Benevolent and Group Insurance Funds (FEB&GIF) briefed members about its working. He said the fund, created under the 1969 Act, was financed through staff contributions and earned about Rs8 billion annually, with investments mainly in government treasury bills.

The committee recommended including two senators and two MNAs in its board. Senator Abdul Qadir also proposed that the Fund invest in government development projects.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2025