ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee expressed concern over the slow pace of the possession of plots on Tuesday while taking up the issue of allotment of plots in Green Enclave, Bharakaho Phase-I of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).

The committee was informed that an FGEHA board meeting will finalise matters, including approval of a policy ensuring that additional costs are not passed on to allottees.

The committee was chaired by Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan, and a meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances was held in the Parliament House.

The chairman directed FGEHA to submit a report along with the completion timeline in the next meeting.

Panel expresses displeasure over absence of interior minister, CDA chief in meeting

The committee expressed displeasure over the absence of the interior minister and the CDA chairman to clarify issues related to Islamabad.

Senator Danesh Kumar highlighted the continued non-attendance of the chairman of CDA and raised concerns over the late submission of working papers and incomplete information.

The chairman directed the Ministry of Interior to ensure the presence of the chairman of CDA in the next meeting and deferred the agenda due to his absence and lack of complete information. It was noted that government employees invest their hopes and savings in such schemes, and making timely completion is essential.

It had been convened to review the implementation status of assurances given by the federal government during House proceedings. The committee also took up the matter regarding digital and online measures adopted by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to facilitate the registration of foreign-qualified doctors, along with the implementation of directions issued in the previous meeting.

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination informed the committee that the registration process has now been fully digitised, eliminating human interaction, in compliance with the committee’s instructions.

The committee also directed the Ministry of IT and Telecom to clarify the legal provisions under which 4G internet and voice call services are disrupted in Balochistan on the pretext of security measures.

The committee also urged that data and call packages be extended during prolonged outages. The Ministry of IT & Telecom assured that instructions have already been issued to telecom operators in this regard. Senator Kamran Murtaza questioned the existence of a legal framework governing such network shutdowns.

The committee also discussed the increased air fares for Quetta and emphasised that subsidising flight operations for less-privileged areas has been a long-standing practice.

The meeting was attended by Senators Umer Farooq and Kamil Ali Agha, while Senators Kamran Murtaza and Danesh Kumar attended as movers of the agenda items.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2025