‘The System Has Failed, Interior Minister Was Right’: Housing Minister Riyaz Pirzada

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Housing and Works Riyaz Hussain Pirzada has endorsed the interior minister’s assessment that the country’s system has failed, saying institutional weaknesses were responsible for major administrative problems.

Speaking at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works chaired by Senator Nasir Butt, Pirzada said the government was not a charitable organisation and that decisions could not be taken solely on humanitarian grounds.

The committee discussed the issue of former Public Works Department (PWD) employees being adjusted in various government departments and the non-payment of their pensions and other dues.

A committee member said the husbands of more than 100 women had died while in service, but their families had not received their outstanding dues. Senator Khalida Ateeb described the pension issue of PWD employees as extremely sensitive and said employees adjusted in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) were allegedly not receiving salaries and pensions.

The Housing Secretary said, according to his information, employees were receiving salaries. CDA officials stated that 1,468 employees were being paid salaries, a position also supported by Interior Ministry officials.

Interior Ministry officials said the government had sympathy for employees who had served the country. However, Finance Division officials maintained that the employees were not eligible for pensions.

The committee was told that the Finance Division had declared the employees eligible for pensions in 2007, but now maintained that the 2007 letter itself was incorrect.

Interior Ministry officials said funds could not be released if the Finance Division’s decision was not followed. The committee chairman questioned why a summary had not been sent to the prime minister if the matter concerned pensions. Officials replied that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was abroad and the summary would be sent to the prime minister after his return.

Senator Jan Muhammad advised the minister to focus on his own responsibilities rather than intervening in the affairs of other ministries. The committee chairman warned that if the summary was not sent to the prime minister within three days, the interior minister would be summoned.

The Housing Secretary said the Finance Division was now claiming that it had never issued the letter regarding pensions. Finance officials said that if no such letter had been issued, it should be considered fake.

The committee chairman directed that the origin of the letter be investigated and said the matter could be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Finance officials maintained that pension laws were governed by cabinet decisions and argued that work-charged employees were not eligible for pensions because they were not considered regular government employees.

Interior Ministry officials, however, pointed out that around 10,500 people with the same employment status were currently receiving pensions, warning that the government could face difficulties defending the matter if any of them approached the courts.

During the meeting, Minister Riyaz Pirzada said institutional weaknesses were causing departments to shut down and that officials often escaped accountability while ministers had to face the consequences.

“The government is not a charitable organisation,” he said.

When Senator Khalida Ateeb asked who would address the weaknesses in the system, Pirzada replied that decisions could not be made purely on humanitarian grounds. The senator strongly objected to his remarks, saying that employees who had devoted their youth to the department deserved their outstanding dues.

Senator Hidayatullah referred to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s statement that the system had failed. Pirzada responded: “He was absolutely right; the system has failed.”

Pirzada also alleged that billions of rupees were being defrauded through fake official letters. The committee chairman said efforts must be made to improve the system and described the payment of salaries to PWD employees after their adjustment in various departments as a major achievement.

Senator Khalida Ateeb maintained that some CDA employees were still not receiving salaries. The Housing Secretary said 3,224 employees were currently receiving salaries.

The committee chairman said all PWD employees had now been adjusted in different government departments.

Pirzada further claimed that four or five ministries were treated as if they were obtained “through charity.” Senator Khalida Ateeb protested against the use of the term, while Pirzada clarified that although the wording used by “Naqvi sahib” was inappropriate, the underlying reality remained the same.

The housing minister also alleged that his ministry had repeatedly been used for political pressure and said that several former ministers had benefited from such arrangements, while he was now being left to face the consequences.

“What they did is their responsibility, but I am being asked to answer for it. Why should I answer for someone else?” Pirzada said.