Senate Committee reviews key government assurances on housing, health & infrastructure

ISLAMABAD, Oct 30 (SABAH): Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan chaired the meeting of Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances held on Wednesday at Old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges.

The Senate Committee deliberated on the missing files of houses located in the I-10/4 and F-11/3 sectors of Islamabad. The Chairman CDA apprised that there is no record of allotment or any other relevant documents in both cases. However, the CDA has referred the matter to the FIA for further inquiry. Moreover, both cases are pending before the civil courts, and the case of I-10/4 has been decided by the court in favor of the affectee; however, its execution is pending before the court.

The Committee discussed the assurance concerning the reconstruction of Ayub Bridge in Havelian, District Abbottabad, on N-35. The Chairman NHA stated that the reconstruction work has been completed and the road is open to the public.

Discussing the assurance regarding the installation of an MRI machine in the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital, Special Secretary for National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, Nasiruddin Mashood Ahmed, apprised that the work is in process and will be completed before the end of November this year.

Concerning the assurance given by the Minister of Defence regarding the present status of work on the project to convert the land leased out to the Army Heritage Foundation into an entertainment park for the general public. The Officials stated that the given assurance has been fulfilled and the land has been converted into an entertainment park.

Furthermore, the Committee discussed the assurance given by the Minister of State for Finance and Revenue regarding cutting expenses to provide relief to the general public. Officials informed that the government has placed a ban on foreign visits, allowing only obligatory visits. Moreover, the government has constituted a committee for rightsizing to cut expenses.

In attendance were Senators Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Professor Sajid Mir, Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Special Secretary Interior Waqas Ali Mehmood, Special Secretary for NHSR&C Nasiruddin Mashood Ahmed, Chairman NHA Mohammad Sheheryar Sultan and other senior officials from concerned departments.