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ISLAMABAD, Oct 24 (APP):The Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development chaired by Syed Rafiullah, met in the Constitution Room, Parliament House, on Friday to review implementation of previous directives and to receive updates from the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Ministry of Interior.
The Committee opened by recording appreciation that 2,416 pension cases have been settled following committee’s oversight but emphasised that partial progress is insufficient as every remaining claim must be concluded promptly and transparently.
On EOBI matters the Committee therefore directed the Board to finalise the outstanding 745 pension claims and provide a full, line-by-line register of pending and settled cases, advertise and conclude the appointment of a regular Chairman before the next sitting and submit compliance reports for regional offices with registration statistics, service-delivery metrics and remedial actions.
Other directives issued by the Committee included the matter of alleged irregular utilisation of workers’ hard-earned contributions by one of its former Chairmen. It was alleged that an amount of approximately Rs. 2.4 million was drawn from workers’ funds and utilized to obtain memberships of the DHA Golf Club, Karachi, and the Islamabad Club.
The Committee was informed that the matter is currently under litigation; however, it directed that the case be pursued on an urgent basis to ensure recovery of the misused funds and accountability in accordance with law. The Committee also sought a consolidated five-year status report on its recommendations for institutional reforms, an actuarial note on extending EOBI coverage to informal workers (notably fishermen), and instructed EOBI to provide financial reconciliation for recoveries from former officials where applicable.
On trafficking and migration controls, the FIA briefed the Committee on ongoing inquiries into illegal migration routes to Cambodia and related trafficking networks. The Committee noted arrests and prosecutions but recorded concern at information gaps originating from overseas missions and the need for improved cross-agency collaboration.
The Committee therefore ordered the FIA, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior, to furnish a consolidated, evidence-based dossier on Cambodia cases and to submit revised off-loading rules and the new risk-analysis protocol designed to identify high-risk passengers. The Committee decided to consider these matters in-camera at its next sitting.
Recognising potential fiduciary exposure and opaque asset management, the Committee established a four-member Sub-Committee to scrutinise EOBI’s asset, investment portfolio, rental income streams and real-estate holdings. The Sub-Committee comprises Dr Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, Mr Farhan Chishti, Mr Muhammad Ilyas Choudhary and Mr Fateh Ullah.
The meeting of the Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was attended by MNA Nasir Iqbal Bosal, Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Erum Hamid, Mah Jabeen Khan Abbasi (joined virtually), Fateh Ullah Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Behn, Dr Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, Farhan Chishti, Sofia Saeed Shah, and Muhammad Ilyas Choudhary. Along with officers of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.