ISLAMABAD — A Senate sub-committee on Monday decided to escalate complaints to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif over the repeated absence of senior officials of NHA from the Ministry of Communications, terming the conduct a breach of parliamentary privilege.
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The Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications, chaired by Senator Kamil Ali Agha, expressed serious dissatisfaction after both the National Highway Authority (NHA) chief executive officer and the communications secretary once again skipped the meeting. Senators Zamir Hussain Ghumro and Saifullah Abro were also in attendance.
The senators noted that the officials had previously assured the panel that they would appear, yet continued to avoid proceedings without justification. The committee warned that the absence undermined the functioning of parliamentary oversight mechanisms, which operate as extensions of the Senate.
Taking notice of the issue, the sub-committee agreed to formally write to the prime minister through the Senate chairman, seeking action over what it described as misconduct and breach of privilege by the communications secretary and the NHA head.
In a parallel development, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology examined the perks and financial benefits granted to government officers serving on boards of state-owned enterprises, including Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). Lawmakers questioned whether the compensation packages aligned with public sector norms given PTCL’s majority state shareholding.
The panel was informed that PTCL Chairman Zarar Hashim Khan — who currently serves as the IT and telecom secretary — receives $8,000 per board meeting, a monthly honorarium of Rs25,000, and a 1,300cc chauffeur-driven vehicle. Other directors reportedly receive $5,000 per board meeting and $1,000 for committee work.
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Committee members sought a detailed briefing from the Law Division on relevant policy, as well as disclosures on board members from Ufone, PTCL’s subsidiary. The panel also reviewed a separate case involving alleged monthly corruption of Rs15 million within an FIA unit, where 13 officers have been convicted and partial recoveries made.