ISLAMABAD — The Senate Standing Committee on Interior held a detailed meeting in which several major issues concerning Islamabad were discussed, including the PIMS tragedy, fire and electrical safety inspections, illegal hostels, water shortages, parking, passport issuance, visa policy and airport passenger screening.
PIMS Safety Audit Questioned
The committee raised questions regarding safety arrangements at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) following the recent incident.
The committee chairman asked when the hospital was last inspected for electrical and fire safety and when its last certificate was issued following an inspection.
The CDA chairman informed the committee that the last audit of PIMS had been conducted in September 2025. The committee also directed that the PIMS audit report be presented to it.
Senator Abid Sher Ali also pointed to the reported shortage of water available for firefighting at the hospital.
Islamabad Faces Major Water Shortfall
The CDA chairman told the committee that Islamabad's daily water requirement is around 250 million gallons, while the city currently faces a shortfall of approximately 125 million gallons per day.
He said Islamabad receives around 5 million gallons per day from Rawal Dam, while several dam and water-supply projects are under development.
According to the CDA chairman, completion of Shahdara Dam is expected to provide an additional 10 million gallons of water per day.
He also confirmed that sewage water is entering Rawal Dam from several locations, including areas around Bani Gala.
Illegal Hostels in Residential Areas
The issue of illegal hostels operating in residential areas was also discussed.
The committee chairman called for immediate action against illegal hostels. The CDA chairman said the matter was currently before the courts and that action would be taken in accordance with court directions.
Questions Over Passport Issuance
Senator Abid Sher Ali questioned the requirement of a ministry NOC for certain passport applications, asking officials to clarify the legal basis for referring such cases to the ministry.
The committee chairman directed officials to provide the relevant rules and explain under which law such permissions were required.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that passports had previously been issued to people who were not entitled to them and that the number of blue passports had also been reduced.
Afghanistan Visa Policy Discussed
Senator Talha Mahmood called for greater facilitation for businessmen and students seeking visas.
Talal Chaudhry said Afghanistan remained a sensitive matter and that visa-related issues concerning Afghanistan should also be discussed with the Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting, Chaudhry also made several claims linking Afghan nationals to security incidents. Those claims were presented by him during the committee meeting and should be understood as statements attributed to the minister, rather than independently verified findings.
Islamabad Parking Crisis
CDA officials informed the committee that an electronic parking project was underway at seven locations in Islamabad.
Senator Abid Sher Ali questioned the availability of parking in the capital and suggested that new buildings should not receive approvals without adequate underground parking facilities.
Officials said parking payments were being collected through cashless systems and QR-code payments at designated locations.
Airport Screening and Offloading
FIA officials told the committee that passengers' mobile phones and social-media accounts are not routinely checked. They said passengers suspected of involvement in human trafficking may be subjected to additional scrutiny.
Talal Chaudhry, however, shared his own experience of having social-media information checked while travelling abroad and also discussed several cases involving passengers who were stopped from travelling.
