Senate body seeks opinion from Law Ministry on Postal Bill 2019

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Postal Services Thursday sought legal opinion from the Ministry of Law and Justice on the Postal Bill 2019 presented by Senator Khushbakht Shujat.

The chairperson of the committee, Senator Khushbakht Shujat presented the Bill before the Senate on March 8, 2019, which was discussed in depth in the meeting.

As meeting started, Senator Khushbakht Shujat said that being the presenter of the Bill, she would like not to chair the meeting and offered members of the committee to lead the session.

Subsequently, Senator, Rana Mehmood ul Hasan and Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi headed the meeting.

Khushbakht Shujat, informed the members that Postal Office Act 1898 was very old law which did not meet the requirements of new age and needed several amendments. Meanwhile, Director General (DG) and Secretary Postal Services apprised the committee that after reviewing the bill, some suggestions regarding punishments, fines, powers and definitions of services had been suggested by the Postal Services.

Moreover, under an agreement with NADRA 15000 outlets would be opened throughout the country. 614 of these outlets were in operation now.

They informed that postal services had 46000 employees and Rs 16 billion out if its total budget of Rs 18 billion was spent on salaries and pensions but department was not in losses, the added.

Khushbakht Shujat observed that until powers were not transferred to the departments and they were not made independent they could not deliver in true manner adding that guest houses of the postal services throughout the country needed to be upgraded.

Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi said that condition of the General Post Office (GPO) Chakwal was miserable and it required maintenance and asked authorities to present detailed report on the issue in next meeting.

In a query by Senator Mirza, it was informed that if the standing committee would recommend then Pakistan Post employees serving in the Parliament could be given one month bonus in July.

The committee referred the suggestions to the Law Ministry for legal opinion.