10-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Property encroachment issue: Senate body to summon ETPB chief, admin Nankana Sahib district
ISLAMABAD: Expressing its serious concern on encroachment of Evacuee Property in District Nankana Sahib, the Standing Committee on Government Assurances has decided to summon Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs, Chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and District Administration Nankana Sahib to discuss the issue in its next meeting.
The committee also directed Power and Petroleum Divisions not to issue NOCs for installation of electricity and gas meters on encroached land.
The committee met under the chairpersonship of Nuzhat Sadiq, MNA in Parliament House on Wednesday.
The committee was apprised that 14,000 residential and commercial units have been built on the ETPB land in District Nankana Sahib causing loss to the national exchequer.
The committee was further apprised that operations had been launched against the encroachments; however, to make it meaningful involvement of elected representatives of the district would provide useful assistance and valuable advice.
The additional secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs informed that the ETPB had initiated various measures that include hiring of services of the Survey of Pakistan and SUPARCO for physical survey of all the properties and acquiring their satellite imagery. He said that regular anti-encroachment drives had been initiated apart from initiation of disciplinary action against ETPB officials for their delinquency in their duties.
The committee, while discussing assurance regarding massive/unannounced loadshedding and over billing in Karachi, directed for engagement with elected representatives to sort out the issues.
The committee was also of the view that a new electricity provider would encourage healthy competition and enhanced service delivery in Karachi.
The committee also reiterated its earlier direction for sticking to the approved loadshedding plan and zero un-announced power outages.
The KESC official apprised that menace of power theft through hooked connections and non-payment of electricity dues was hindering smooth supply of electric power to the residents of Karachi especially the Lyari area. He informed that local representatives at UC level had been engaged to persuade people to come under metering net, however, all the efforts were unfruitful. He informed that as per directions of the committee, approved schedule of loadshedding was being followed and loadshedding in wee hours had been discontinued. The committee decided to take up the Assurance in its next meeting.
The committee, while discussing implementation report regarding establishment of office of Protectorate of Emigrants at Abbottabad, appreciated the prompt compliance by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis. The committee also discussed and disposed of Assurance regarding establishment of transformers repairs workshops at district level by electricity distribution companies.
The committee directed the Power Division to pass on directions to all the DISCOs to adopt friendly posture towards its subscribers and initiated steps for enhanced service delivery.
The committee, while taking up the Assurance regarding provision of free medical treatment to cancer patients, directed the Ministry of National Health Services to expedite the submission of summary for approval of the Federal Cabinet.
The Director General Health apprised that Letter of Intent had been signed with M/s Roche for provision of medical treatment to cancer patients in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) on 73 percent contribution of M/s Roche and 27 percent by the Government of Pakistan.
The committee decided this while discussing assurance by education minister to address the grave issue of out-of-school children, decided to visit educational establishments in the ICT to physically verify the measures initiated by Ministry of Federal Education though the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to address the issue of out-of-school children. The additional secretary Ministry of Federal Education and director general FDE apprised the committee about the steps taken to bring children into schools.
The meeting was attended by Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs; MNAs, Raja Qamarul Islam, Muneeba Iqbal, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Shagufta Jumani, Shahida Rehmani, Sofia Saeed Shah, Haji Imtiaz Ahmed Choudhry, Shafqat Abbas, and Muhammad Arshad Sahi; Mover Mian Ghous Muhammad; Secretary Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Additional Secretary Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and other officers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
