ISLAMABAD: In a notable display of consensus, the Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved the Privatization Commission (Amendment) Bill 2025, The legislation was introduced in the Senate by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Privatization, Muhammad Ali.
During the session, Minister of State for Interior, Muhammad Talal Chaudhry, provided details regarding prison security. He reported that over the past four years, 19 inmates had escaped from police custody, with 15 of them subsequently recaptured. Answering questions during the Question Hour, the minister stated that disciplinary and criminal proceedings had been initiated against 32 police officers for negligence and breaches of standard operating procedures (SOPs). He added that four prisoners remained at large, with ongoing efforts to apprehend them.
Chaudhry further explained that departmental sanctions had been imposed on 32 police officials found responsible for custody lapses, with 17 officers receiving major punishments. Additionally, 13 criminal cases had been filed against personnel whose negligence contributed to the escapes.
The minister attributed the incidents to failures in adhering to SOPs related to presenting accused persons in court and their transfer procedures. “Strict action was taken wherever negligence was proven, without discrimination,” he emphasized.In response to a supplementary query from Senator Talha Mahmood, Chaudhry clarified that Islamabad did not permit illegal or private detention facilities. He assured that all arrestees were produced before courts within 24 hours, in compliance with legal requirements.
Open Merit Process for HEC Chairperson to be Restarted
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarar, informed the Senate that efforts were underway to restart the process of appointing the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to ensure merit-based selection.
Responding to a question from Senator Kamran Murtaza, Tarar explained that an initial search committee had conducted interviews and initiated the appointment process. However, considering the critical and extensive functions of the HEC—including curriculum oversight, regulation of universities, and maintaining academic standards—it was deemed necessary to undertake a second round of the selection process.
He reassured the Senate that the absence of a permanent chairman did not render the HEC dysfunctional, as it remained a statutory body capable of functioning independently of the chairperson’s presence. Tarar highlighted that the Executive Director managed daily operations, and provisions existed for an acting chairperson under law.
The law minister emphasized that Prime Minister was personally overseeing the process to ensure the appointment was made purely on merit, with the most qualified individual selected. Tarar clarified that the appointment to the HEC chair was a merit-based position, unaffected by provincial quotas or rotation. If a highly qualified professor from Balochistan met the criteria, their appointment would be welcomed.
