Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
During a Senate session chaired by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Caretaker Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi claimed that more than 200 government-owned enterprises are currently reporting losses totaling Rs 730 billion.
The minister briefed members on the significant financial challenges faced by numerous government-owned institutions. He stressed the urgency of addressing these issues and proposed various measures to mitigate losses and implement wide-ranging reforms. He emphasized the need for reforms, including potential privatization efforts, to be led by the incoming elected government.
While discussing potential solutions, he noted differing opinions, with some advocating for privatization while others emphasize improving governance practices. However, Solangi emphasized that the final decision will be made by the elected government. He also highlighted the substantial profits generated by some government enterprises, totaling Rs 570 billion, indicating opportunities for financial sustainability.
Additionally, Solangi mentioned the significant losses incurred by the National Highway Authority, which amounted to around Rs 170 billion.
He also informed the House that Higher Education Commission had neither decided nor given any suggestion to the universities to eliminate any particular course of study, including the Pakistan Studies from their degree programs.
Meanwhile, the Senate has approved the Christian Marriage Amendment Bill 2023, which establishes the minimum marriage age for Christian children at 18 years, 24news HD TV Channel reported on Monday.
According to the channel report, the Christian Marriage Amendment Bill 2023 was tabled in the Senate for approval and Senator Kamran Michael proposed an amendment in it to set the marriage age of Christian children at 18 years. He told the Upper House that the committee reduced the age of girls and boys from 18 to 16 years in the bill. He suggested that this age limit should be 18 years and the House passed the Christian Marriage Amendment Bill 2023 with his additional amendments.
The House passed seven bills and witnessed the introduction of four private members’ bills which were referred to the relevant committees for further consideration.
