By Naveed Butt

Copyright brecorder

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has unanimously approved “The National School of Public Policy (NSPP) (Amendment) Bill, 2025,” which shifts the authority to nominate NSPP board members from the Federal Cabinet to the prime minister.

The committee met with Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan in the chair at the Parliament House on Friday. The meeting was attended by Senators Saadia Abbasi, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, and Aimal Wali Khan. Senior officers from relevant ministries and departments were also present.

The committee was briefed on the Government Bill titled “The National School of Public Policy (Amendment) Bill, 2025.” The proposed amendment authorizes the prime minister to nominate board members of the NSPP.

The secretary of the Establishment Division informed the committee that it was impractical for the Federal Cabinet to deliberate on the appointment of hundreds of officers and board members, as such matters diverted attention from its core responsibilities. Following detailed discussions, the committee unanimously passed the bill in its original form as introduced in the Senate.

According to the bill, “Provided further that no retired civil servant shall be appointed under the first proviso unless he fulfills the required criteria.”

And after the second proviso, the following third proviso shall be added, namely: – “Provided also that where a civil servant is appointed or posted as directing staff, his terms and conditions of service, including pay fixation, shall be regulated in accordance with the rules and regulations applicable to him.”

The issue of Protection of Rights of Regularized Civil Servants, referred by the chairman of the Senate, also came under discussion. The committee was informed that a bill on the subject has already been tabled in the National Assembly. It was further briefed that the prime minister has taken personal notice of the matter and directed the concerned ministries and departments to furnish reports, along with the financial implications of granting statutory protection to contractual and daily-wage employees.

The chairman of the committee expressed full solidarity with the affected employees and their families, and directed that the matter be revisited after its disposal in the National Assembly.

The Managing Director of the Federal Employees Benevolent & Group Insurance Funds (FEB&GIF) apprised the committee of the functions and operations of the organization. He informed that the FEB&GIF is an autonomous body operating on a self-help basis through member contributions. Established under the Federal Employees Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance Act, 1969, the Fund collects approximately Rs 8 billion annually, with most investments in government treasury bills.

The committee recommended that two Senators and two MNAs be included in the Board of the FEB&GIF. Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir suggested that the Fund should also consider investing in construction and development projects of the government.

The committee was further briefed on the functioning of the Pakistan Printing Corporation (PCP). The Managing Director, PCP, informed that upon assuming charge, he had cleared a significant backlog, but noted that the government of Pakistan had not awarded printing work to PCP for an extended period due to previous delays.

The PCP currently employs 365 staff members (70 percent productive and 30 percent non-productive) and operates offices in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. He emphasized the urgent need for new staff recruitment, modern machinery, and reforms in human resource management. The committee recommended that all government ministries and departments curtail the practice of outsourcing printing work to private companies and instead assign such tasks to PCP. It further directed that all necessary efforts should be made to ensure the immediate release of pending salaries of PCP employees in Karachi.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025