News Detail
Event Title: Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology presiding over a meeting of the committee at Parliament House, Islamabad
Event Date: 2024-09-25
Senator Kamil Ali Agha chaired the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology held today at Parliament House.
The Senate Committee was briefed on the working and role of the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST). Secretary for Science and Technology Sajid Baloch stated that the primary role of the NCST is to provide policy directives, and it is headed by the Prime Minister. The NCST has no human resources of its own and is housed within the Pakistan Commission for Science and Technology. However, in the last seven years, no meeting of the NCST has taken place. The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the poor presentation on the NCST and directed that a comprehensive presentation be submitted at the next meeting.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha raised concerns about vacant positions in several organizations under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Sajid Baloch informed that the Prime Minister has issued directions, and the vacant posts will be filled in the next few months.
Furthermore, the Committee deliberated on the functions and performance of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). Senator Syed Shibli Faraz criticized the PSQCA for its poor performance and questioned its financial transparency. He added that the PSQCA is responsible for maintaining standards in the country but unfortunately lacks the basic equipment. The PSQCA has fined the cement industry for compromising standards in previous years, but the fines have not been collected to date. He argued that the headquarters of the PSQCA should be moved from Karachi to Islamabad to allow for better federal oversight. Sajid Baloch explained that the headquarters cannot be changed, as "Karachi" is specified in the PSQCA Act. The Committee decided to move a private member bill to amend the PSQCA Act, if not already amended. Senator Kamil Ali Agha suggested that the PSQCA should establish a mechanism for in-house evaluation to assess its performance.
While deliberating on the restructuring of the Scientific and Technological Development Corporation of Pakistan (STEDEC) as the Indigenous Research and Development Agency (IRADA), Senator Kamil inquired about the constraints involved. Officials apprised that the documents have been submitted to the SECP for the name change, and the process will be completed in the next two to three days.
In attendance were Senators Aslam Ali Abro,Husna Bano,Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto,Syed Shibli Faraz,Nasir Mehmood,Secretary for Science and Technology Sajid Baloch,DG for Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority Taufique Ali Abbasi and other senior officials from the concerned departments.