NA Panel Questions Illegal Occupation of Govt Houses, Slams PWD Closure

Lawmakers express anger over absence of housing minister and senior officials; demand answers over alleged rent collection from private occupants, delayed allotment of residences and fate of more than 5,000 PWD employees

Syed Naveed Hussain

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Works has raised serious concerns over the alleged illegal occupation of government residences, collection of rent from private occupants and delays in allotting houses to eligible government employees, while strongly questioning the government’s decision to abolish the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD).

Lawmakers also expressed displeasure over the absence of the housing minister, secretary and other senior officials, prompting MNA Agha Rafiullah to walk out of the meeting in protest.

The committee meeting, chaired by Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri at Parliament House, was marked by protests over the absence of senior officials, with members questioning the purpose of holding the meeting without the presence of relevant authorities to respond to their concerns.

At the outset, committee member Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani objected to the absence of the minister, secretary and relevant officials and called for the meeting to be postponed. The chairman also questioned who would respond to members’ queries in the absence of the minister and secretary.

Officials informed the committee that the newly appointed secretary had yet to assume charge, while the minister was attending a meeting with the prime minister.

Expressing displeasure over the situation, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said no responsible official was present to answer the committee’s questions. In a sarcastic remark, he observed that all the absent officials were “men of piety” and that discussing them in their absence would amount to backbiting, prompting smiles among the participants.

During the meeting, committee member Samina Mohiuddin Jamali alleged that private individuals were residing in government houses in Islamabad’s I-8 sector and that rent was being collected from them.

She questioned why the residences were not being allotted to eligible government employees if they were vacant. The Housing Ministry’s joint secretary acknowledged that some houses were vacant.

Committee member Malik Abrar Ahmed also highlighted the difficulties faced by government employees who, despite having paid money, had yet to receive their allotted residences. He expressed concern over the lack of effective mechanisms to address their grievances.

Agha Rafiullah protested the absence of senior officials and questioned whether the treatment being meted out to the committee was linked to its chairman’s affiliation with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F). He argued that the meeting served little purpose when no responsible official was available to respond to lawmakers’ concerns.

The closure of PWD also came under sharp criticism, with committee members Hassaan Sabir, Syed Sami Ul Hassan Gilani and Dr Darshan Lal questioning the government’s justification for abolishing the department on the grounds of corruption.

They asked how many investigations had been initiated, how many cases had been registered and what action had been taken against those allegedly responsible for corruption. Members noted that more than 5,000 employees and their families had been affected by the decision, while accountability for the alleged wrongdoing remained unclear.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri argued that the entire department and its workforce should not be penalised for the alleged misconduct of a few individuals. He questioned why the department had been abolished before alternative arrangements were fully established, leaving employees facing uncertainty and administrative difficulties.

The committee also stressed that experienced PWD employees placed in the surplus pool should be considered for adjustment against available positions in PIDAMA, taking into account their professional experience, institutional knowledge and familiarity with existing procedures.

The meeting highlighted lawmakers’ concerns over administrative accountability, the allocation of public housing and the future of employees affected by PWD’s closure.