Islamabad August 28, 2025: The Standing Committee on Government Assurances expressing its serious concern on reported use of narcotics in educational institutions, directed the Ministry of Federal Education and Higher Education Commission to devise policy to address this menace. The Standing Committee also asked HEC to adopt no tolerance policy and hold heads of educational institutions responsible where drug use was reported. The standing committee met in Parliament House, Islamabad with Ms. Nuzhat Sadiq, MNA un the chair. 

The Committee while discussing implementation report on Assurance given by Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training on a Calling Attention Notice regarding use of narcotics in educational institutions observed that it was our moral obligations to save our youth from this menace. The HEC officials apprised the committee that Anti Narcotics Force had been regularly conducting raids and had seized 189 kg of drugs in the areas around the educational institutions in Islamabad. He said that similarly ANF had seized sizeable quantities of drugs from areas around educational institutions in other parts of the country besides taking serious legal action against drug peddlers. He further informed that besides aforesaid actions, HEC and ANF had also focused on arranging advocacy sessions to the youth to apprise them about the negative effects of drugs on them. 

 

The Committee while discussing implementation status on Assurance given by Minister for Religious Affairs regarding encroachment on Evacuee Trust property in District Nankana Sahib directed for adopting a no tolerance approach towards illegal occupation of government property. The Committee decided to discuss the issue with provincial authorities whose support in eviction of encroachers had been non existent. The Committee was of the view that had the district administration supported the Trust Management, the government property would not had been encroached on massive scale. The Secretary Evacuee Trust Property Board apprised the committee about the encroachments and the action taken against the encroachers.

 

The Committee while discussing implementation report on Assurance given by Minister for Communications on failure of NHA in construction and rehabilitation of Highways in Sindh decided to call Chairman National Highways Authority in its next meeting and discuss the issue in question besides policy of NHA regarding establishing Toll plazas at short distances inflicting financial burden on commuters. The Committee also sought details of toll collected from highways in Sindh and funds to expended in their reconstruction and rehabilitation.

 

The Committee while discussing implementation report on unannounced load-shedding and over billing by Karachi Electric Supply Company and power theft in Karachi opined that despite assurance by the KE management, over billing and unannounced power outages were going on unabated. The Committee decided to have a comprehensive briefing in first week of September in presence of the Minister of Power and the Regulator i.e NEPRA and make recommendations in that regard. The Committee was of the view that another electricity provider in Karachi would help provide healthy competition and enhanced service delivery to the electricity consumers. 

 

The Committee while discussing Assurance given by Minister for Petroleum Division regarding gas shortage to the tail end consumers in Malir, kemari and layari in karachi directed Sui Southern Gas Company to complete rehabilitation of its network as promised by the Minister. The SSGCL representative apprised the committee that the work would be completed by October this year which would improve gas supply to the residents of the areas.

 

The meeting was attended by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal ch, MNAs Ms. Asiya Ishaque Siddique, Řãjã Qamar ul Islam, Ms. Shagufta Jummani, Ms. Shahida Rehmani, Mr. Hameed Hussain, Ms. Muneeba Iqbal, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Ms. Sofia Saeed Shah, Secretaries of the concerned Ministries and senior officials of the concerned departments.