ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi on Friday informed the Senate that no former federal ministers, ministers of state, special assistants or advisors to the prime minister (SAPM) have taken official vehicles with themselves rather, all such vehicles had to hand over to the cabinet division in a week on expiry of the respective government’s tenure.
Replying to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the minister said that later the cabinet division utilized the said vehicles.
He also clarified that he and other incumbent caretaker ministers had 1800cc cars. As per rule 24 of the Rules for Use of Staff Cars 1980, Federal Ministers/Ministers of State/Advisors/Special Assistants to the Prime Minister with the status of Minister/Minister of State were entitled to use 1800cc cars to be provided by the respective Ministry, he said.
However, the minister said in case of non-availability of the suitable entitled car with the Ministry concerned, the Cabinet Division provides the vehicles from its pool for the use of Federal Ministers/Ministers of State.
In response to a question raised by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, the minister said presently, serving Officers in BS-20-22 of the Federal Government were not entitled to have any official/personal staff at their residences.
The government would carry out an exercise to take information from the concerned departments and in case of any violation, a report would be presented before the house, he said.
He said complete details of grade-21 and 22 officers belonging to Balochistan would also be placed before the House.
To a separate question, Murtaza Solangi apprised the house that no separate funds were sanctioned against PWD Colony, G-8/4 (152 Cat-V flats), and funds sanctioned in residential buildings in routine maintenance work. However, no funds utilized for PWD Colony G-8/4 (152 Cat-V flats) for the last two years.
To a supplementary question, he said that electricity to the Qasr-e-Naz building owned by the federal government has been disconnected due to non-payment of dues since June. The matter would be presented in the cabinet meeting, he added.
To another question, he said under the Rule of Business private counsels could be hired in complex and challenging court cases. Solangi further said that PIA is present on the privatization list. Responding to a calling attention notice, he said the previous government had devised a privatization plan and the caretaker government is implementing it. He mentioned that the halted flight operation of the PIA has been revived after arranging the funds.
The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs emphasized that issues related to the PIA span over several successive governments. He suggested threadbare discussion on the national flag carrier in the presence of Ministers for Aviation and Privatization.
Taking the floor, Leader of House in the Senate Ishaq Dar expressed concerns over rise in terror incidents in the country, suggesting that the caretaker government should give an in-camera briefing to the House on the situation.
