NA body calls for true implementation of revised minimum wages

NA Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis called for the true implementation of the revised minimum wage to be paid as soon as it is announced, across all bodies under the Ministry. The Committee expressed reservations over replies on the payment of the minimum wage , and recommended that all boards and organisations under the Ministry put in place rules or a mechanism so that the minimum wage is paid as soon as the Federal Government raises it, said a press release. The Committee recommended to all provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan that grants to workers following any incident be raised to Rs3 million. The Committee deferred the Employees' Old-Age Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development met today here, presided over by Syed Rafiullah, to review the implementation of its previous recommendations and to consider three Government Bills. The Committee expressed reservations over several of the replies furnished by the Ministry and its attached bodies on its earlier recommendations on the minimum wage . The Chairperson observed that the Ministry should put in place an automatic mechanism for raising the minimum wage . The Committee accordingly recommended that all boards and organisations under the Ministry make rules, or adopt an appropriate mechanism, so that the minimum wage is paid as soon as the Federal Government raises it. Reviewing the coal mine incident at Sorrange in Balochistan, the Committee was informed that three inspectors had been suspended by the Mines Department and two officials by the Labour Department of the Government of Balochistan, First Information Reports had been lodged and show-cause notices issued to the companies concerned, and 34 cheques had been handed to the Deputy Commissioner for disbursement to the affected families. The Committee recommended to all provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan that grants to workers following any incident be raised to Rs. 3 million. The Committee deferred all three Bills, i.e. the Employees' Old-Age Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2026 together with its review of the recommendations concerning the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment. The Committee further sought complete details of the investment portfolio and interest income of all departments of the Ministry, and recommended that the Workers Welfare Fund place before it the details of every proposal presented to its Board in future. The meeting was attended by MNAs including Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Fateh Ullah Khan, Mohammad Ilyas Choudhary, Ms Sofia Saeed Shah (virtually), Ms Saeeda Jamshid, Mian Khan Bugti, Farhan Chishti and Ms Erum Hamid, along with the Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, and senior officials of the Ministry, EOBI, the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Labour and Mines Departments of the Government of Balochistan.