The National Assembly resumed its session at the Parliament House in Islamabad this afternoon with Speaker Asad Qaisar in the chair.

The House is transacting private members business today (Tuesday).

Minister for National Education and Professional Training Shahfqat Mahmood has said that inefficient civil servants will be sent on retirement with all financial benefits after proper scrutiny to improve performance of the civil servants.

He was responding to a calling attention notice moved by Nafisa Shah and others regarding compulsory retirement of more than 300 CSS officers in violation of Civil Servant Act 1973, causing grave concern amongst the public.

The Minister said a scrutiny committee under the chairmanship of Chairman Federal Public Service Commission is looking into the matter and no arbitrary action will be taken. He added that Section 13 (1) of the Civil Servant Act 1973 fully empowered the government to devise rules to evaluate performance of bureaucrats.

Responding to another question, Parliamentary Secretary on Interior Shaukat Ali informed the House that the allotment of farmhouses violating Capital Development Authority bylaws will be cancelled after fulfilling all the codal formalities. He said only 96 out of total 621 farmhouses in Islamabad are functioning as per law. He said 542 farmhouses are active at present, 81 have violated covered area rules, while 365 are not doing any kind of farming, which is the main objective of establishing farmhouses in the federal capital so that residents of Islamabad can get fresh vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products.

The National Assembly extended the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 and Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 for a further period of 120 days with effect from 19th of this month. The Houses also extended the PAF Air War College Institute Ordinance, 2021 for a further period of 120 days with effect from 20th of this month.

Eight bills were introduced in the House. These include, “The Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021”, “The Injured Persons Compulsory Treatment Bill, 2021”, “The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021” (Amendment in Article-37), “The Elections (Amendment) Bill,202l”, “The Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2021”, “The West Pakistan Pure Food (Amendment) Bill, 2021”, “The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021” (Amendment in Article-140A), and “The Benazir Income Support Programme (Amendment) Bill, 2021”.

The chair referred the bills to concerned standing committees of the House. Besides, “The Maintenance and Welfare of Old Parents and Senior Citizens Bill, 2020” with an amendment introduced by Minister of States for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan was resent to the concerned standing committee for further deliberations.

The National Assembly today passed four bills. These include “The Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2019”, “[The Islamabad Capital Territory Domestic Workers Bill, 2020”, “The Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill, 2020”, and “The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment Bill, 20201.” The House will now meet on Friday at 11 a.m.