Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Taking notice of non-payment of salaries to regular teachers of Workers Welfare Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a Senate Standing committee on overseas Pakistanis and Human Development on Thursday directed the ministry to ensure timely payment to regular teachers.

Members of the committee expressed serious concerns over non-payment of salaries to regular teachers for the last several years. “We always hear that the issue has been resolved but the actual situation is different,” they lamented. Senator Rehman Malik threatened that next time he would walk out from the committee meeting if payment of salaries for regular teachers could not ensured. The committee was informed that that the issue of non-payment of salary arose from the appointment of some non-regular teachers who were appointed without meeting proper criteria.

However, Federal Secretary Ministry for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Khizar Hayat Khan informed the committee that last time the Worker Welfare Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was given a budget for salary payment only to regular staff but the provincial department made payment to both regular and non-regular staff. However, Chairman Workers Welfare Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Syed Alamgir Shah informed the committee that there was no written instruction to pay only to regular staff. The committee directed that regular staff be paid and let the investigative agency (NAB) complete its enquiry over non-regular staff of the workers welfare board.

The committee also discussed the issue of a Pakistani prisoner (accused) Zulfiqar Ali, who was awarded death sentence in an Indonesian court. Additional Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zulfqar Gardezai told the committee that Ali was arrested in 2014 in a heroin smuggling case. He hired a lawyer for himself and later the embassy also hired a lawyer for him. On 29 July, one day before his hanging, he applied for mercy and his execution was delayed. The committee directed the foreign affairs ministry to evaluate the case and find out whether the alleged accused was involved in the case or not. The ministry further asked to submit details in next meeting.

Regarding 8,500 Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia not being paid their salaries, the committee was informed that the matter was taken up at highest level with the Saudi government and full support was assured. The Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Peer Sadruddin Shah Rashdi informed the committee that 5,500 workers applied for compensation announced by the PM in which 4,800 were cleared. The remaining would be cleared after verification process completion.

The committee also took up the issue of non-availability of machine readable passports in 25 missions abroad. Additional Secretary Foreign Affairs informed the committee that from Oct 1, 2016, the manual passports would not be valid across the globe, rendering Pakistanis in these 25 countries unable to travel.

The committee also was of the view that there was no justification for making NICOP by NADRA for those workers who were planning to go abroad. The committee also criticised NADRA for charging Rs 3,500 to Rs 9,000 per NICOP, where the information was written in English and which was the requirement of any foreign country. The committee suggested that either the fee for NICOP be reduced or scrapped.