NA approves electoral reforms committeePakistan

<h2>Committee composition</h2> Under the motion, the committee will include representatives of all parliamentary parties. The speaker will also be empowered to alter the committee&#8217;s composition on the recommendations of parliamentary leaders and to constitute subcommittees as required.

<h2>E-passports and modernised immigration system</h2> During the question hour earlier in the session, the parliamentary affairs minister told the house that the government was working to modernise Pakistan&#8217;s passport and immigration system by introducing electronic passports and upgrading technology to meet international standards.

According to the minister, all passports currently being issued in the country are e-passports carrying embedded chips designed to improve security and prevent forgery. He said modern machinery had been installed at passport offices and at the headquarters of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports in Islamabad.

He acknowledged, however, that completing the nationwide transition could take time given the country&#8217;s large population and the need to provide equipment at different locations, adding that passport services were being expanded to district and tehsil levels.

The minister said applications submitted by overseas Pakistanis through Pakistani embassies and consulates were generally forwarded to the headquarters for issuance of e-passports. He also told the house that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had developed expertise that had attracted interest from other countries.

<h2>Islamabad development, Workers Welfare Fund</h2> In response to another question, the minister said around 94 percent of development work in Sector C-14 of Islamabad had been completed and the process of handing over plots was nearly complete. He described the handover of possession of plots in Sector E-12 to allottees as a major achievement, noting that many allottees had waited decades for possession despite holding allotment letters.

Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Muhammad Awn Saqlain informed the house that the Workers Welfare Fund had 12 employees on deputation, 251 regular employees and 90 vacant posts. He said all appointments on deputation had been made under the prescribed rules and criteria after scrutiny by a committee working under the relevant minister.

Replying to a question about official vehicles, he said 22 vehicles were being used by Grade-20 officers of the fund and that a 50 percent cut had been imposed under the prime minister&#8217;s austerity policy. He said the fund&#8217;s administrative costs over the past five years stood at Rs753 million, while operational expenditure amounted to Rs300 million.

Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry told the house that Pakistan Television&#8217;s business plan had been submitted to its board for approval after completion of the required formalities and was expected to be approved within the next few months.

<h2>Two bills introduced</h2> After the question hour, two bills &#8211; the National Book Foundation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Pakistan Climate Change (Amendment) Bill, 2026 &#8211; were introduced in the National Assembly.