A Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat meeting was held at 11:00 a.m. in Committee Room No. 1, Parliament House, Islamabad on 26th September 2025, beginning with a recitation from the Holy Quran and presided over by Senator Rana Mehmood ul Hassan.
Members present included Saadia Abbasi, Ata-ur-Rehman, Aimal Wali Khan, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan and Shahadat Awan, and senior officials from the Establishment Division, Cabinet Division and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority attended alongside the Member of the National Disaster Management Authority.
The NDMA representative briefed the committee on the monsoon 2025 impact, reporting around 1,000 casualties and approximately 1,000 injured, while cautioning that figures may rise as rescue and relief operations continue and floodwaters recede. The agency reported 12,559 damaged houses and the loss of 6,509 livestock, and said roughly three million people were rescued or evacuated between 26th June and 19th September 2025. The briefing stressed the need to accelerate relief and recovery work and highlighted a projection of 22 percent higher rainfall next year, underlining the importance of improved preparedness and timely interventions.
Members were informed that the Prime Minister has increased ex-gratia assistance for each next of kin of the deceased from Rs1 million to Rs2 million for monsoon 2025, with an estimated financial impact of Rs2,033.7 million. The committee commended NDMA’s efforts and urged continued coordination to ensure effective distribution of relief and rehabilitation support.
The Director General of the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development briefed the committee on PARD’s performance from 2021 to 2025, noting that more than 48,000 officers of various grades were trained during the period. The committee discussed the institution’s mandate and recommended reconsidering the word ‘Rural’ in its name to reflect broader development challenges, while also urging better utilization of PARD’s training infrastructure.
The committee examined Starred Question No. 27 raised by Senator Shahadat Awan regarding the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s criteria for roll-out obligations in the absence of a formal Right of Way regulation. It was agreed that the mover’s specific queries would be forwarded to PTA and the Ministry of IT for comprehensive responses.
A private member’s bill titled The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, moved by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, was taken up but deferred after the Cannabis Control Authority informed the committee that the proposed amendment needed consideration by its Board of Governors and the relevant meeting could not be convened. Remaining agenda items were also deferred due to the absence of movers.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the chair, with the committee emphasizing the urgency of continued relief operations, the implementation of the elevated ex-gratia payments and strengthened preparedness measures ahead of the forecasted increase in rainfall. The focus on monsoon relief remains central to the committee’s ongoing oversight and recommendations.
