However, Mobin came to the meeting later when the members of the committee stressed the chairman to pass a privilege motion against him. The members of the committee said they have given in writing the issues related to NADRA in their constituencies to Ehtisham Shahid, PSO to Chairman NADRA, during previous meeting of the committee held in February this year in the presence of the chairman NADRA.
The members said Shahid had promised during the meeting that he will contact all members of the committee who have raised issues, adding that addressing their problems remains a far cry as the concerned official even did not bother to contact a single member in this regard after the meeting.
Some members of the committee suggested suspending the PSO to chairman NADRA for his negligence and launch an inquiry against him. However, after further discussion, the committee recommended that the said officer should be removed from his post after making him an OSD and departmental inquiry be initiated against him.
"I tender my apology for the wrongdoing of the officer concerned but it is also not fair to pass recommendation against an official without hearing him," the chairman NADRA said. The statement of chairman NADRA further infuriated members of the committee.
MNA Salman Khan Bloach of MQM Pakistan said, "Due to incompetence of NADRA we are facing embarrassment in our constituencies." He recommended suspending the PSO to chairman and launch an inquiry against him. "Monitoring of NADRA's affairs is our job but the authority high-ups do not take the committee serious, therefore, the committee should pass a privilege motion against the chairman NADRA," Salman Baloch said. The chairman of the standing committee and Baloch also exchanged harsh words during the meeting over NADRA issues.
PTI MNA Dr Arif Alvi said that following promise of NADRA official, he informed people of his constituency that NADRA will solve their problems in a couple of days. "Addressing our voters' problems remains a far cry as the concerned official even did not bother to contact us that's why we are now facing very awkward situation," he said.
The chairman NADRA briefed the committee on the issue of blocked CNICs and the progress of service centres across the country. The committee directed the chairman NADRA to improve progress for the public welfare.
The committee also questioned NADRA officials about the incident of harassment to a female officer at the workplace by some senior officers of NADRA. The members of the committee said that NADRA has issued show cause notice to its female officer, who levelled serious allegations of harassment at the workplace by some senior officers of the authority, to give clean chit to the officers involved in the incident.
The NADRA official informed the meeting that the authority has issued show cause notice to the female officer and started an inquiry. "The female officer has refused to provide evidence of harassment to the inquiry committee," he added.
Baloch said, "We have no trust in the inquiry launched by NADRA regarding the incident and Ministry of Interior should be asked to appoint an honest officer for probing the incident. How could an officer conduct a transparent inquiry against an officer of his own organisation," he said, adding that the allegation was levelled against the DG NADRA and the officer appointed for inquiry is also a DG of the authority.
Director FIA Islamabad Zone, Dr Mazharul Haq Kakakhel informed the meeting that NADRA has also filed a case against the female officer for submitting fake medical bill. On this, the committee directed the Ministry of Interior to conduct an inquiry into the incident and submit report before the committee.
Kakakhel also briefed the committee on the issue of misbehaving with female passengers at Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad and the illegal trade of human organs across the country. The agency has suspended one female constable who was involved in active physical abuse and forwarded the case of an inspector to Director General (DG) FIA for further action.
The official of Interior Ministry briefed the committee about the security measures taken for the protection of MNA Salman Khan Baloch. The committee directed the Ministry of Interior to take serious, effective and immediate action in this regard.
The committee also discussed "The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2017" moved by MNA Zahra Wadood Fatemi and decided that the bill be deferred till next committee meeting for removal of all lacunas.
The parliamentary penal also considered "The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2017," moved by MNA Shahida Rehmani and "The Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Employment of Children Bill, 2017," moved by MNA Shazia Marri.
The meeting was also attended by MNA Ghalib Khan, Syed Iftikhar-ul-Hassan, Mian Shahid Hussain Khan Bhatti, Nauman Islam Shaikh, Kanwar Naveed Jameel, Naeema Kishwer Khan, Sher Akbar Khan, Zahra Wadood Fatemi and Shahida Rehmani.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017