ISLAMABAD – A meeting of Senate Special Oversight Committee was held here at Parliament House on Tuesday to discuss overlapping jurisdiction of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The law ministry presented its interim report over the matter after consulting the NAB and FIA. The representatives of the Law division informed the committee that the FIA and NAB both expressed their concern over the existing jurisdiction the two organisations are exercising. The officials of FIA and NAB told law division that they are working smoothly and whenever any need arises the FIA refers cases to NAB and vice versa. He further said that law division cannot amend FIA Act as it comes under Ministry of Interior Affairs.
Senator Farooq H Naek suggested that in order to repeal, amend or alter the existing NAB ordinance and FIA Act, a special committee should be constituted. The committee should review in detail the existing law and bifurcate the jurisdiction between FIA and NAB to eliminate over-lapping.
Committee Chairman Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi seconded Farooq and directed the law division to come up with a comprehensive report in the next meeting so that steps can be taken to determine the jurisdiction and mandate of FIA and NAB.
Establishment Division secretary was also present to give detail insight into the Civil Services Reforms under consideration. He told the committee that a number of Civil Services Reforms regarding declaration of assets by civil servants, conduct rules, increase in age qualification, women and minority quota of CSS are in the agenda of the reforms.
He said that the report of Civil Services Reforms committee will be presented to the Oversight committee once it is finalised. Officers of Ministry of Climate Change briefed the committee regarding the functioning of the ministry. He told that the ministry has 195 officers and officials and has jurisdiction within Islamabad after the 18th amendment.
He informed that 33 per cent of ministerial documentation is done through e-filing and measures to increase the percentage are under process. He also said that installation of CCTVs and biometric verification machines is underway.
The committee was attended among others by Senator Farooq H. Naek, Senator Saeed Ghani, Senator Saifullah Magsi and Senator Mrs. Zahida Khan.
