A proposal recommending legislative changes to enable the direct dismissal of bureaucrats, rather than assigning them as Officers on Special Duty (OSD), was presented to the Senate Standing Committee for Law and Justice on Friday.
According to 24NewsHD TV, PTI Senator Fauzia Arshad raised concerns about declining standards in the bureaucracy during the committee meeting chaired by Chairman Farooq H. Naik. She emphasized the need for legislation allowing the dismissal of officers directly instead of designating them as OSD.
In the same session, Senator Fauzia Arshad withdrew a bill proposing an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 23, a proposal she had previously submitted. At her request, the committee returned the bill.
The committee also discussed a proposed bill under Article 62 of the Constitution, which seeks to reinstate a graduation requirement for members of parliament. Senator Zamir Hussain Ghummro highlighted this criterion within the bill.
Chairman Farooq H. Naik remarked that this requirement was initially imposed by General Pervez Musharraf to prevent Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto from entering parliament, assuming she held only a BA degree. He mentioned that Musharraf was eventually shown her graduation degree. Senator Kamran Murtaza noted that the restriction may have been intended not only for Benazir Bhutto but also for Asif Ali Zardari. Due to Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri’s absence, the bill was postponed.
The committee also received a briefing on the Legal Aid and Justice Authority Bill. The Law Secretary explained that this authority, formerly under the Ministry of Justice, now operates under the Ministry of Law and Justice. He also noted that the Director General’s term expired three months ago, prompting Chairman Naik to respond that any official could assume acting charge for up to 90 days if the Director General is unavailable.