Inquiry initiated into PSQCA appointments, Senate panel told

Rules and Privileges Committee decides to write to the PM Secretariat on absence of ex-petroleum secretary

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Rules and Privileges was informed on Thursday that the process of appointments in the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) was stopped and an inquiry into any irregularities was initiated.

The committee met here with its Chairman Senator Tahir Bizenjo in the chair. The committee examined the privilege motion moved by Senator Shafiq Tareen against the joint secretary and other officials of the PSQCA.

Tareen said that PSQCA had advertised various posts in which there were some issues, while objections were also raised by certain people. He added that provincial quotas and promotions were violated in the new appointments.

He said that Science and Technology (S&T) Committee had sought details from the S&T ministry, but no reply was provided. The S&T secretary had assured that committee’s instruction would be followed but instead he completed the interview process.

“The officers concerned not only violated the privileges of the committee, but also used inappropriate words regarding the powers of the committee,” Tareen told the committee.

“I raised this matter in the Senate session. The Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani stopped the process of appointments through a ruling,” he said. The officials concerned apologised to Senator Tareen in the committee meeting.

The officials said that the appointments process had been stopped and the new secretary had also constituted an inquiry committee. Directions had been issued for finalising the report in one month, they added.

In the meeting, Senator Fida Muhammad, Senator Ahmed Umar and Senator Shamim Afridi raised the issue of inappropriate behaviour of a former petroleum secretary. Officials said that the official concerned was on ex-Pakistan leave from Sept 17 to 22.

The members expressed anger at the absence of the former petroleum secretary, saying that he was no longer attending committee meetings. “All institutions are accountable to the committees of parliament,” Senator Manzoor Kakar said.

The committee decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister's Secretariat and the establishment secretary on that matter. It warned that if the former secretary did not appear before it, the issue summons against him would be issued.

Senator Saifullah Abro’s complaint against two superintendents of police, a deputy superintendent and four station house officers of Larkana regarding conducting a police raid at his residence was also considered in the meeting.

The chair told the committee that the inspector general of the Sindh police had informed that they were engaged in the ongoing operation against the outlaws in the Kacha areas of the province.

Senator Tahir Bizenjo also said that the Sindh IG had informed the Senate chairman in this regard, therefore, it would be better to discuss the matter in his presence. Later, he adjourned the matter till the next meeting of the committee.