ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday showed concerns over the delay in installation of MRI machine at the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital, Islamabad.

The Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances, which met at Parliament Lodges with Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan in the chair, besides other agenda items discussed the delay in installation of the MRI machine at Polyclinic.

The members were told that machine was donated by the government of Japan. Civil work pertaining to the operation of the machine has been delegated by Pak PWD to the CDA, resulting in procedural delays. The committee was told that civic work was expected to be completed within 10 days while Japanese engineers were scheduled to visit the hospital in the first week of August for installation and operations.

The committee chairman said: “the concerned authorities must seek confirmation from the Japanese government on the exact operational date to avoid further setbacks.”

Meanwhile, according to a press release, the committee took up critical issues beginning with the longstanding concern of poor telecom services in underserved regions. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication informed the committee that surveys had been conducted and new projects initiated at three locations to address the non-availability of 4G data and voice call services in Dheri Mera, Union Council Salhad, Abbottabad.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the slow progress, Senator Dost Mohammad Khan said, “Thousands of residents in Wana, South Waziristan, estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 people, remain deprived of internet facilities.”

Supporting this, Senator Kamran Murtaza said that similar connectivity gaps persisted in Balochistan where towers existed but signals remained non-functional.”

The committee directed the ministry to submit a follow-up report within three months.

Turning to infrastructure, Senator Dost Mohammad voiced serious concerns over the deteriorating condition of roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“NHA must ensure timely repair or recover costs from contractors if standards are compromised,” he insisted.

Ministry officials assured the meeting that the matter would be taken up with the concerned contractors for immediate action.

The committee also took up the critical issue of petroleum pricing deregulation. Senator Kamran Murtaza sought clarity from the minister for energy (Petroleum Division) regarding the government’s plans to delegate the authority of petroleum products price fixation to oil marketing companies (OMCs).

Officials informed the committee that in line with the prime minister’s directive, various proposals for a deregulation framework had been discussed with key stakeholders, including refineries, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), Oil Marketing Association of Pakistan (OMAP), petroleum dealers and transporters.

Senator Murtaza inquired about possible risks such as reduced market share for refineries, increased smuggling and quality issues, market dominance by large OMCs, price hikes during peak demand and unrestricted imports leading to hoarding.

In response, the ministry clarified that a phased approach was under consideration. Initially, the pricing formula may be delinked from Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to foster fair competition. Market behaviour will be closely monitored before fully deregulating prices to ensure consumer protection and sector stability.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025