Federal Cabinet to constitute special committee for recommendations on Reko Diq case verdict

July 17, 2019: Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan says a committee has been constituted to submit its recommendations to the cabinet on the verdict of World Bank's Arbitration Court on Riko Diq case.    

Briefing media about cabinet meeting along with Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed and Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam in Islamabad on Tuesday, she said the committee will submit its recommendations, point out those responsible and devise future strategy in this regard.

She said the committee headed by Law Minister Farough Naseem will include Hammad Azhar, Dr Isharat Hussain, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Accountability Shahzad Akbar and Syed Qasim.

Firdous Ashiq Awan said the cabinet issued directives for appointing permanent heads in all the departments which are being run without permanent heads.

The Special Assistant said it has been decided that a mechanism will be devised to keep an eye on the prices of items of daily use like pulses and wheat flour.

She said it has been decided that the tax on import of edible oil will be reduced from seven percent to two percent, which will break the back bone of the hoarders.

She said the cabinet discussed about the possible measures needed for improvement in the management of land record by the revenue department. She said that the matter will be taken up in the next cabinet meeting.

Firdous Awan said that the Prime Minister is of the view that the government is ready to listen to the problems of the traders but there will be no compromise on the registration process of the traders to include them in the tax net.

Talking about the austerity measures of the incumbent government, Minister for Communications said that there is a reduction of 85.6 percent in security expenditure of Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and 60 percent reduction in expenditure on his movement.

He said no camp offices are being used by the incumbent Chief Minister.

He said the money saved in this way will be spent on the welfare of under privileged segments of the society.

Briefing about the important decisions taken by the Federal Cabinet regarding Clean and Green Pakistan, Prime Minister's Advisor on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said that the cabinet has decided to ban manufacturing, selling, buying and use of polythene bags.

He said initially the ban will be imposed in the Federal Capital from the 14th of next month. He said fine ranging from 5000 rupees to 500, 000 rupees will be imposed on violation.