ISLAMABAD:
The Senate on Thursday passed the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at enhancing transparency and enabling public access to asset declarations of senior government officials.
The bill, moved by Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on behalf of Senator Ahmed Khan Cheema, Minister for Establishment, seeks to amend the Civil Servants Act, 1973, as reported by the Standing Committee.
The legislation is intended to further operationalise the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964 — specifically Rules 12, 13, and 13-A — and align them with the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2017.
Under the proposed framework, asset declarations of officers in Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 17 to 22 — including assets beneficially owned domestically or abroad by the officials or their family members — will be filed digitally and made publicly accessible.
The bill provides that sufficient safeguards will be ensured to protect sensitive personal information, such as national identity numbers, residential addresses, and bank or bond account numbers.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will maintain the digital platform, while the Establishment Division will be equipped with a robust framework, resources, and tools to conduct risk-based verifications of the submitted declarations.
Meanwhile, senators expressed grave concerns over the country’s fiscal policies, particularly the imposition of taxes on essential sectors and the economic hardships facing ordinary citizens.
While participating in the general discussion on Budget 2025-26, Senator Dost Ali Jeesor criticized the 18 percent solar tax, calling it unfair and burdensome on low-income families who invest in solar panels and batteries.
He called for the total elimination of the tax, asserting that the recent cut — lowering the GST on solar panels by more than 10 percent from the previous 18 percent — remains insufficient.
Senator Muhammad Abdul Qadir presented an overview of the federal budget, said that we would need more loans to finance ongoing development projects, pension disbursements, and social welfare programs like BISP.
He cautioned that Pakistan’s debt servicing costs are alarmingly high, with interest payments consuming 30 to 35 percent of loans taken by successive governments.
Jam Saifullah pressed for the commencement of the long-delayed M-6 Motorway project, criticizing insufficient PSDP allocations. He also raised environmental concerns, opposing taxes on electric and hybrid vehicles, which he said undermine national climate goals. Furthermore, he called for increased support for salary earners and pensioners to fight inflation.
Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan highlighted the disproportionate tax burden on the poor, deeming the 10 percent pay raise for government employees inadequate in the prevailing economic crisis. He warned of declining agricultural productivity and stressed urgent government intervention to revive the sector.
Calling solar energy a vital resource for Pakistan’s future, Hidayatullah demanded the removal of taxes on solar panels to encourage wider adoption.
Citing a World Health Organization report, he stressed that 45 percent of people live below the poverty line and over 270 million children remain out of school, underscoring the urgent need to prioritize education and healthcare.
