Senate Committee reviews amendments to Civil Servants Bill, addressing women’s quotas & dual nationality concerns
ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (SABAH): The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, chaired by Senator Rana Mehmood-ul Hassan, met on Friday at the Parliament House.
The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced by Senators Qurat-ul-Ain Marri, Zamir Hussain Ghumro, and Poonjo Bheel, was discussed in detail. Senator Marri emphasized the need for having adequate representation of women who constitute more than 50 percent of Pakistani population. Senator Ghumro highlighted the constitutional provisions which ensure adequate safeguards are in place to protect the rights of women & Non-Muslims.
The movers informed the Committee that considering unequal opportunities available to women and Non-Muslim they propose that a ten percent and five percent quota shall be reserved for women and Non-Muslims respectively from the share of province/ region. The Secretary, Establishment Division informed the Committee that at present quotas are enforced through O.M.s which are followed in letter and spirit. He also agreed that these O.M.s do not have a statutory backing but if these are given a statutory cover then amending them may pose a challenge. Moreover, he also highlighted that if quotas for women and Non-Muslims are included in the Civil Servants Act, 1973 then other constitutional quotas should also be included in it to make it more uniform. Moreover, Cabinet & Establishment Secretaries highlighted the operational difficulties encountered while posting women officers in the field. Members of the Committee deliberated the matter at length and decided to defer the matter. Moreover the Committee also directed the Establishment Division to submit a comprehensive working paper including gender, domicile, performance evaluation reports and any other important information of successful candidates for the last 5 years. The Committee also decided to review similar amendments proposed by the Sindh Assembly to increase participation of women and Non-Muslims.
Additionally, the Committee discussed “The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill” introduced by Senator Afnan Ullah Khan. Senator Khan highlighted the challenges posed by bureaucrats with dual nationalities, arguing that it undermines the safeguarding of national interest. The Committee discussed the pros and cons of enforcing this legislation. The Committee decided to defer the matter and directed the Secretary Establishment Division to share a comprehensive working paper highlighting the number of civil servants with dual nationalities also identifying those who were naturalized citizens and those who became dual nationals after entering the service along with details of how many such individuals are serving at the key installation.
The Committee also addressed Public Petition PP-6110, which called for a public holiday dedicated to tree plantation and climate change awareness. The petitioner highlighted the serious impacts of climate change and urged for a holiday to raise awareness across all institutions. While acknowledging the importance of the petition, the Cabinet Secretary argued that adding another holiday was inappropriate, suggesting instead that the existing holidays be utilized for this purpose. The Committee endorsed the view of the Secretary Cabinet and disposed of the public petition.
The meeting was attended by Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Senator Qurat-ul-Ain Marri, Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir, The Secretary of the Cabinet Division, The Secretary of the Establishment Division, and other senior officials from the concerned departments.