Islamabad : Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works met under the chairmanship of Senator Nasir Mehmood Butt, taking up a packed agenda that included the salaries of former Pak PWD employees, absorption issues in various departments, ownership of Chamba House Lahore, and reforms in the journalists’ housing quota.
The meeting was attended by Senators Bilal Ahmed Khan, Jan Mohammad, Hidayat Ullah Khan, Abdul Shakoor Khan, Khalida Ateeb, Husna Bano, Muhammad Aslam Abro and Senator Saifullah Abro. Representatives of journalist organizations, including office-bearers of PFUJ and RIUJ, also participated in the Standing Committee meeting. Senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting briefed the Committee in detail on the journalists’ housing quota and related policy matters.
At the outset, committee members strongly protested the continued absence of Federal Minister for Housing Riaz Pirzada from the proceedings. Senators observed that the Federal Minister has not attended any meeting of the committee to date and stated that the minister does not take the Senate committee seriously. Members proposed that the matter of the minister’s repeated absence be brought to the notice of the Prime Minister.
The committee then took up Agenda Items I and II regarding the salaries of former employees of Pak PWD. The committee was briefed that, in pursuance of the Federal Cabinet’s decision notified by the Ministry of Housing and Works on 06.09.2024, maintenance staff of Pak PWD were transferred to the Capital Development Authority, Estate Office and other ministries, divisions and departments.
It was informed that 91 percent of employees, amounting to 2,940 staff members, have been transferred and are receiving salaries on a regular basis. Transfer of 6 percent, comprising 173 employees, has also been completed, and the concerned departments are approaching the Finance Division for budget allocation for the current financial year. The remaining 3 percent, or 112 employees, are in the final stages of transfer. All such employees have been paid salaries up to 30.06.2025. For the fiscal year 2025-2026, the receiving ministries and departments will request allocation of funds from the Finance Division for payment of salaries with effect from 01.07.2025.
In a separate breakdown, the committee was informed that 2,860 maintenance staff transferred to CDA, Estate Office, Ministry of Defence, Federal Shariat Court, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FBR, NAB and CGA are receiving salaries without interruption. The remaining 365 maintenance staff are in the process of transfer to other ministries and departments, and their salaries have been paid by Pak PWD up to 30.06.2025.
The Ministry of Housing and Works has convened meetings with stakeholders to finalize modalities for transfer and release of retirement-related financial matters, including pension and GP Fund. It was unanimously decided that DBA will share case details with transferee entities in three phases. Phase I covers employees who retired after transfer. Phase II includes those retiring up to 31.03.2026. Phase III includes all remaining cases.
The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control also held meetings on 16.12.2025 and 22.12.2025 to discuss pension and GP Fund matters of staff transferred to CDA. A further meeting was held on 10.02.2026, attended by representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Establishment Division, AGPR, CDA and DBA. Recommendations of the sub-committee will be submitted to the main committee of the Ministry of Interior for consideration and decision.
During the discussion, Senator Bilal stated that it has been two and a half years and no one has asked the employees about their problems. Senator Saifullah Abro proposed that a dedicated sub-committee be formed to exclusively address the issues of these employees.
Chairman Senator Nasir Mehmood Butt remarked that officers are all sitting here while the employees are crying. He further stated that two employees have already died due to heart attacks. The Chairman termed withholding someone’s salary as an abuse of the employee and directed that salaries must be dispatched before Eid, warning that otherwise the salaries of all concerned officers would also be confiscated.
Member Administration FBR informed the committee that 114 employees have been hired so far and assured that the issues of the remaining employees will also be resolved.
On departmental absorption, the committee was informed that 20 employees in FIA were to be absorbed and a report will be presented within two days, failing which the Director General FIA will be summoned to explain. In IB, out of 80 cases, 70 have been resolved while 10 remained, including cases from Quetta. One employee has passed away and the remaining nine cases are to be resolved shortly.
The committee also reviewed progress on the issue of Chamba House Lahore. In compliance with the committee’s earlier recommendations, Muhammad Saqib Gulzar, Deputy Director, Estate Office Lahore, held meetings with the Provincial Government, Assistant Commissioner Tehsil City Lahore and ADCR Lahore. The Provincial Government has sought ownership record from the Federal Government. A copy of a cheque from Pak PWD record has been obtained as proof of payment for the purchase of Chamba House. The matter is under process for reconciliation of records with the Provincial Government.
The committee then took up in detail the matter of the journalists’ housing quota. Officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting briefed the Committee on the existing quota mechanism and pending allotments.
For Membership Drive I, 4 percent quota was reserved, comprising 2 percent each for journalists and media workers, on a first come first served basis. In Membership Drive II, 1 percent quota was reserved for journalists and 1 percent for media workers on the basis of age-wise seniority.
Under Membership Drive I, the schemes include Bara Kahu Housing Scheme Green Enclave I and Sky Garden Housing Scheme. Under Membership Drive II, the schemes include F-14/15 Housing Scheme Islamabad and Park Road Housing Scheme.
The total available plots under the journalists and media workers quota are 67 each in Bara Kahu, 85 each in Sky Garden, 64 each in F-14/15 and 16 each in Park Road.
All plots reserved for media workers in Bara Kahu and F-14/F-15 housing schemes have been allotted. FGEHA forwarded membership forms under the journalists’ quota to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 22.06.2016 and 23.08.2016. After scrutiny, the Ministry forwarded its recommendations on 10.01.2024. However, on 19.02.2024, the Ministry suspended further action pending review by a Grievance Redressal Committee. As a result, allotments have not been issued to journalists in GEHA schemes to date, except for two cases in Bara Kahu issued in compliance with directives of the Wafaqi Mohtasib, namely Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Category I and Mr. Muhammad Faisal Rafique Awan Category II.
The Chairman observed that a transparent and inclusive mechanism was essential to ensure merit-based allotment. He directed that a scrutiny committee be formed for allotment of plots to journalists. Representatives of all PFUJ and RIUJ bodies should be included in the committee to ensure across-the-board representation. Secretary General PFUJ Mr. Shakeel Ahmed emphasized that if all stakeholders are represented in the committee, decisions will be made purely on merit and grievances will be minimized.
RIUJ President Tariq Usmani urged that the committee should also recommend restoration of the two percent quota for journalists. The Standing Committee endorsed this view and formally recommended restor
