Senate body recommends survey about Maritime exact area of land under encroachment

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing on Maritime Affairs on Thursday recommended ministry concerned departments to conduct a survey about the exact area of land under encroachment and total number of population residing there. The committee further directed authorities concerned to brief the committee within thirty days positively about the survey.

The committee meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Mir Amer Ali Khan Magsi, MNA here at Parliament House . The committee unanimously approved the minutes of the previous meeting.

The committee considered the Bills “The Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Government Bill), Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Government Bill), and The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Government Bill)”. After detail deliberations the committee recommended with majority that all these three Bills may be passed by the Assembly.

However Abdul Qadir Patel and Kesoo Mal Kheel Das MNAs submitted their note of dissent.
The committee considered “The Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021, (Moved by . Syed Agha Rafiullah MNA)”. It was noticed by the Committee that mover is not present but the Committee decided to proceed about the merits of the Bill even in absence of the Mover. Representatives of the Ministry opposed the said amendment on the ground that the issue is already under consideration at various forums to resolve the issue hence, the amendment in hand is not required whereas the some of the members of the committee pointed out that for rectification of the error committed during approval of the previous budget the instant bill is moved hence, it should be passed by the Assembly. After detail deliberations the Committee unanimously recommended that the Bill may be passed by the Assembly.

The committee was briefed about the PSDP for the financial year 2021-22. The committee unanimously approved the PSDP. The Committee was briefed about the project of construction of K.P.T Easterbay expressway (Ex-Preiphery Road), at Easter Backwaters. It was informed to the committee that major area of land was under encroachment since long time. Various attempts had been made in the past to vacate the same but in vain. It was also recommended by the Committee that the authorities shall also suggest a suitable alternate arrangement for shifting the population from there.

It was also noticed by the Committee there is the issue of blockage and congestion of containers at Pakistan International Container Terminal which needs the attention of the authorities. Representative of the Ministry informed the Committee that the issue of blockage was due to the reason that these containers lack their clearance from FBR, Custom Department as well as ANF. As per rule without all these departments containers are not allowed to proceed for boarding. In view of the above, the committee recommended that the representative of all three departments be called in the next meeting to brief about the issue of delayed clearance.

Members,MNAs,Movers Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Faheem Khan, Saif-ur-Rehman, Abdual Shakoor Shad, Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, Jameel Ahamed Khan, Usama Qadri, Begum Tahira Bukhari, Kesoo Mal Kheel Das, Abdual Qadir Patel, Kamal- ud-Din, Minister for Maritime Affairs, Secretary Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Chairman KPT, Chairman PQA, and Chairman GPA along-with their officers and staff attended the meeting.