ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s (NA) Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Raja Khurram Nawaz on Monday unanimously passed the Citizenship Law Amendment Bill in Islamabad.
According to the new amendment, children born to foreigners in Pakistan will not be granted Pakistani citizenship.
During the session, the Director-General of Immigration and Passports briefed the committee on the steps being taken to enhance passport issuance. He mentioned that his department had been requesting funds from the Finance Ministry for a year to replace old printing machines, which has now resulted in an increased capacity with 25 new machines.
He expressed optimism that the backlog of passports could be cleared within two to three weeks, noting that the department generated Rs 50 billion in revenue last year and Rs 20 billion this year so far.
The Director-General also highlighted the financial struggles of his department, citing insufficient funding despite having revenue targets. He informed the committee that two new e-passport machines were expected soon.
Chairman Nawaz commented on the revenue generation, suggesting that the passports department should be either made a separate Authority or integrated into NADRA.
The meeting also covered the issue of power theft. A proposal was discussed that would empower police to act against individuals involved in power pilferage, which was met with resistance from some committee members. An official from the Power Division emphasized the necessity of eliminating power theft, mentioning the government’s outstanding recoveries of Rs 1.8 trillion from power pilferers.
PTI MNA Zartaj Gul and PPP MNA Nabeel Gabol voiced concerns about the misuse of such powers. Gul described instances where the force attacked consumers under the guise of inspections in her constituency, while Gabol referred to a case where a man accused of power theft died in prison three months after his arrest.
A Ministry of Law official explained that police actions would be based on complaints from power distribution company officers, suggesting a joint approach to tackle power pilferage.
Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council reported that FIRs had been registered against nine MNAs for stealing electricity. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry of PML-N mentioned that non-payment of electricity bills was common in several parts of the country.
The Additional Secretary of the Power Division argued for granting more powers for enforcement and recovery, disclosing that 786 employees of power distribution companies had been chargesheeted for involvement in power theft, with plans for their imminent dismissal.
The session concluded without passing the bill regarding power theft enforcement, as the chairman highlighted the issue of selective enforcement that often spared the powerful while targeting ordinary people.
