Ministry directed to ensure finalisation of pending reports

A lower house panel on Monday directed the overseas Pakistanis ministry to ensure fast-track finalisation of pending inquiry reports against the officials allegedly involved in the graft cases.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, which was presided over by Sheikh Fayyaz ud Din, expressed concerns over inordinate delay in finalisation of the corruption cases pending in the departmental account committees against the officials and Community Welfare Attaches (CWAs) for the last several years.

The panel asked the ministry concerned to finalize inquiry reports against the officials concerned at the earliest and pursue their cases pending in the National Accountability Bureau, Federal Investigation Agency and different courts for adjudication so that culprits could be penalized accordingly.

The committee also showed concerns over non-pursuance of the cases of expats involved in petty crimes and languishing in foreign jails due to financial constraints.

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The panel directed the ministry to provide them legal assistance after taking up the matter at an appropriate forum so that they could return home at the earliest.

The committee took exception to the discriminatory attitude of the Australian universities towards Pakistani students. The universities were not allowing them for visa or to continue their online studies despite they paid heavy fees, the body noted.

The panel observed that the students were incurring huge academic loss due to such discriminatory actions.

The committee was of the view that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quershi may be requested to take up the issue with his Australian counterpart to find out its amicable solution.