Ministry of Communications (Pakistan)
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 Ministries of the Government of Pakistan |
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| Ministry of Communications | |
| Minister | Arbab Alamgir Khan |
| Secretary | Anwar Ahmad Khan |
| Established | August 14, 1947 |
| Responsibilities | |
| Employees | |
| Official Website | |
The Ministry of Communications (Urdu: وزارت ابلاغِ عامہ; reporting name: MoCom), is a Cabinet-level ministry of the Pakistani Government responsible for analyzing, formulating and implementing central policy on communications and transportation. It is the one of the oldest ministries, created August 14, 1947. The Ministry of Communications has jurisdiction over telegraph and telephone communications as well as public radio, technical means of radio and television broadcasting and the distribution of periodicals. The Ministry and its political executive, the Communications Minister, are headquartered in the Cabinet Secretariat, Islamabad Capital Venue. The Communications Minister is a public appointee who must be a member of Parliament. As of 2011[update], the Communications Minister is Arbab Alamgir Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party.
History
When the Ministry was created in 1947, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar was appointed as the first Communications Minister. The Communications Ministry was merged in 1971–72 with the Ministry of Hajj. In 1974 the Ministry of Hajj against became a separate Ministry, and the new Ministry of Communications and Railways was formed. Railways broke off in later years, became a Division of the Communications Ministry from 2002–03, and then separated again. In 2004, the Ports and Shipping Wing becoming an independent Division of the Ministry.
Functions
The Communications Ministry performs a wide array of functions. These include promoting international competitiveness of exports; integrating remote areas of the country into the national economy; ensuring safe and smooth travel on national roads; providing an efficient, reliable and speedy postal service comparable to private alternatives; researching road engineering, building and management; and expanding national road networks. The Ministry also works to increase the standard of its own operations through prioritizing development projects and operational activities according to national needs, providing support to the economy, improving project monitoring and implementation, improving the quality of human resources, using incentives and discipline to enhance good governance, and improving values and ethics.
Organisation
The Ministry of Communications' central operations are led by a Federal Secretary. The Ministry also has two wings—an Administration Wing, led by Joint Secretary I and a Roads & Road Transport Wing, led by Joint Secretary II. The Ministry also includes autonomous and subordinate departments. As of 2011[update] the Ministry has 198 main staff.
Departments subordinate to the Ministry include the National Transport Research Centre, the National Highway and Motorway Police, the National Highway Authority, and the Construction Machinery Training Institute.
Allocation of business
The Federal Government has allocated the following business to the Ministry under Schedule II of the Rules of Business 1973:
- National planning, research and international aspects of road and road transport
- National highways and strategic roads, including administration of the National Highway Council and Authority, Central Road Fund and Fund for Roads of National Importance.
- Mechanically propelled vehicles, through the Transport Advisory Council and Urban Road Transport Corporation
- Enemy property
- National Highways and Motorway Police.
