ISLAMABAD, 20th February 2026: The Sub-Committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) has taken strong notice of the issues faced by the national hockey team and announced that it will seek a detailed briefing on the matter.

The sub-committee meeting, held at Parliament House under the convenership of Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, was attended by Pakistan Hockey Federation’s Ad-hoc President and Federal Secretary IPC Mohyuddin Wani, the Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), and other committee members. Participants expressed deep concern over the current state of hockey in the country.

Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto said that what had happened to the national hockey team was unfortunate and that the committee would review who was actually responsible for the incompetence. “Our hearts beat for hockey just as they do for cricket. We will determine who is responsible for ruining our sports,” she remarked.

Committee member Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan stated that both the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Hockey Federation had failed in their responsibilities. He proposed that a meeting be arranged with the Prime Minister to discuss hockey-related matters and that the inquiry report submitted to the committee be presented.

During the session, PSB officials also briefed the committee on various development projects. They revealed that the Biomechanical Lab project, launched in 2014, is still incomplete. The hockey astroturf project in Gilgit took 15 years to complete, with its cost escalating from Rs35 million to Rs123 million.

The Narowal Sports City project, initiated in 2012, was halted in 2018. Its estimated cost surged from Rs732 million to Rs6 billion before being transferred to the Higher Education Commission. Officials said the increase in cost was due to efforts to upgrade the facility to international standards.

Reacting strongly, Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto termed the situation a “tragedy,” saying it was alarming that despite the passage of so many years, projects could not be completed. She noted that Narowal is the constituency of Ahsan Iqbal, yet the project remained unfinished. She added that despite having substantial funds, the Pakistan Sports Board had failed to complete key initiatives.

Islamabad, 24th December, 2025 — The National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce, chaired by Mr. Muhammad Jawed Hanif Khan, convened to deliberate on the findings of the Sub-Committee on the sugar sector and to review trade deficit management and investment trends.
The Sub-Committee tasked with examining the sugar sector submitted its report after consultations with all relevant stakeholders. The Sub-Committee briefed the Committee on the findings, which highlighted serious irregularities in sugar stock reporting, including misreporting of quantities, artificial shortages, and inconsistencies in official entries. Weak monitoring and verification mechanisms, temporary disruptions in tracking systems, ongoing legal cases, and administrative constraints were identified as contributing factors to market distortions. The Committee emphasized the need for structural reforms, stronger governance, transparency, and accountability to ensure market stability and safeguard consumers. The committee directed that the report, along with all its recommendations, be forwarded to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and further directed the Ministry to submit its response to the subcommittee’s report within one month.
The Committee decided to obtain detailed information from the Finance Division and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) regarding outstanding receivables and pending recoveries related to public sector procurement. Members underscored that effective coordination among institutions, objective decision-making, and strict enforcement are critical to preventing future crises.
The Committee discussed the recent trend of multinational companies scaling back or exiting operations in Pakistan, with the Ministry highlighting factors such as over-taxation, inflation, and high costs of doing business. It was noted that the Prime Minister has constituted private-sector-led committees to propose solutions, and the Committee recommended active engagement with the business community. Progress on trade reforms was also highlighted, including the withdrawal of the EFS surcharge, steps on infrastructure cess and value addition, while challenges related to taxation, production costs, and interest rates remain a problem. During the meeting, the Board of Investment also briefed the Committee on Pakistan’s investment climate, highlighting both challenges and emerging opportunities.
The Committee also reviewed trade governance, inter-ministerial coordination, and discrepancies in trade data reporting. The Ministry briefed members on corrective measures taken to address historical trade data inaccuracies, improve reporting quality, and enhance export facilitation. Reforms concerning chambers of commerce, export support mechanisms, and inter-provincial coordination were also discussed to strengthen business operations and promote sustainable economic growth.
In concluding remarks, the Committee stressed the importance of sustained policy stability, transparent governance, reduced costs of doing business, and continued engagement with the private sector. Members emphasized that these measures are essential to restore investor confidence, attract new investment, and support long-term economic growth.
The meeting was attended by MNAs, Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Ms. Kiran Haider, and Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, Mr. Asad Alam Niazi, Mr. Farhan Chishti and Mr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani in person. The Minister of Commerce, Senior officers from the Ministry of Commerce, State Bank of Pakistan, Finance Division, FBR were also present in the meeting.