Islamabad, (Parliament Times) : The Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production met on Thursday under the Chairpersonship of Senator Khalida Ateeb here at the Parliament House
Senator Atta Ur Rehman raised concerns about the dismissal of clerics from steel mills mosques and expressed deep regret over the closure of mosques, highlighting that prayers, even on Fridays, are not being held. The ministry informed the committee that reinstating steel mill employees is not feasible due to the country’s economic situation. The committee sought details on the non-payment of clerics’ salaries in steel mill mosques, and officials disclosed a salary arrear of 33 hundred thousand rupees, with four months’ salaries already paid. Despite the claim that all salaries were up to date until January 31, Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman pointed out discrepancies, leading the committee to recommend employee reinstatement and prompt resolution.
Simultaneously, the GM of Pakistan Gems and Jewelry Development briefed the committee, stating that Pakistani precious stones are sold to Thailand at low prices. In Thailand, these stones are cut and sold for over 70 thousand rupees. The GM attributed export difficulties in gems and jewelry to non-accelerated legislation. Comparing with India’s annual gem and jewelry exports worth 40 billion dollars, GMP revealed that Pakistan’s average annual exports amount to 6 million dollars. He further highlighted Thailand’s impressive exports, surpassing 8 billion dollars.
The meeting was attended by Senator Abdul Qadir, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Senator Atta ur Rehman, and Senator Fida Muhammad. Representatives of the attached departments were also in attendance.
