ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: The Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances on Thursday reviewed implementation status of various assurances given by the ministries of interior, communication, education and tourism on the floor of the house.

The meeting, which was presided over by Senator Chaudhry Mohammad Anwar Bhinder, was held in the Parliament House. The meeting was told that the government had initiated a scheme under which disabled persons would be facilitated in purchasing a special car which would be helpful in their working.

In October 2002, the government decided that local car manufacturers should be persuaded to provide cars to physically disabled persons on priority basis and such cars would be exempted from customs duty.

The committee members were of the view that car manufacturers were not supplying specially designed vehicles to the disabled in time. The committee, therefore, directed the commerce ministry to impress upon car manufacturers to ensure that vehicles fitted with specially designed gadgets should be made available to special persons in time.

The meeting also considered the assurances given in response to the point of order raised by Senator Raza Rabbani on February 29 last year that a report shall be submitted to the Senate in respect to the incident in which 11 people were killed and six injured when a vehicle carrying them was shot at by the security officials at Dera Noor checkpost in South Waziristan.

The meeting was informed that a three-member committee was constituted by home and tribal affairs department, the NWFP government, to inquire into the incident. The committee, after recording the statement of the witnesses available and deliberation with all concerned, concluded that the incident was a result of miscommunication.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani underlined the need for restraint by the law enforcement agencies' personnel. He suggested that instead of resorting to use of force, the tribal elders should be taken into confidence.

Federal Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao informed the committee that it had been the policy of the government to take into confidence the tribal Maliks, senators, MNAs and elders of the area and that the process had proved to be effective.

He said steps had been taken to avoid recurrence of such incidents. More check posts have been established and the number of barricades increased. While replying to a query, the interior minister informed the committee that a compensation of Rs0.5 million would be paid to the family members of the deceased while Rs0.2 million would be given to the persons injured in the incident.

The committee reviewed the report of the Senate subcommittee regarding development work in Mohafiz Town, Lahore, and directed the town management to provide audited statement of accounts to the committee at an early date.

During consideration of the assurance given in response to a question by Senator Babar Khan Ghauri regarding establishment of a hotel on the site of Hyatt Regency Karachi, Tourism Secretary Saleem Gul Shaikh informed the committee that the privatization minister was made custodian of the property under martial law order and that Hyatt Regency was handed over to a private owner on January 29 last year.

He said necessary formalities for bidding were duly completed by the Privatization Commission. The establishment of a hotel on the site of Hyatt Regency Karachi will depend upon the agreement reached between the owner/bidder and Privatization Commission.

The functional committee also considered the assurance given on the floor of the house in response to a point of order raised by Senator Azizullah Satakzai regarding irregularities committed in making recruitments by Pakistan Post in Balochistan.

It was told that the federal minister for communication had constituted a committee to inquire into the matter and submit its report. The said member was associated with the committee as an associate member to ensure transparency.