ISLAMABAD, Mar 10 (APP):The Federal Cabinet on Tuesday approved the request for granting powers of ‘inquiry commission’ to the committee formed recently to probe the recent wheat flour and sugar shortage in the country.
“The committee, which is due to present its report on the shortage of two commodities before the cabinet next week, has been given powers of ‘inquiry commission’ under the Commission of Inquiry Act 2017, ” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan told the media here after the Federal Cabinet’s weekly session.
She said the Federal Investigation Agency’s director general, who was convener of the committee, sought some time from the cabinet for submission of the report, while updating it about the recent developments.
Dr Firdous said most of the cabinet members stressed on making the report on the shortage of wheat flour and sugar public at the earliest. The report would be submitted before the cabinet soon, she added.
She said the status of inquiry commission would give legal cover to the committee to visit the relevant departments during the inquiry process and forensic audit of their accounts.
The FIA DG told the cabinet that the forensic audit of accounts was imperative to expose elements behind the sugar crisis, she said.
The cabinet also decided to include the DG anti-corruption and senior representatives of the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Intelligence Bureau and the Federal Board of Revenue in the commission.
The inquiry commission would also be authorized to form special committees for certain matters.
Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the committee to step up its efforts to conclude the fact-finding process so that the culprits could be taken to the task, she added.
The special assistant said the committee, which was probing the reasons behind the sugar shortage, had also been given the mandate to evaluate the role of Competition Commission of Pakistan during the situation.
“The committee will also investigate that why the commission which ought to expose, punish and eliminate the cartels and mafias, has been playing the role of a silent spectator.”
Dr Firdous said the issue of protesting employees of Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad also came under discussion.
The prime minister directed the department concerned for formulating a uniform policy regarding pay scales of the government employees to avoid discrimination, she pointed out.
She said Advisor on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh was assigned the task of having negotiations with the striking employees. He would also work with the federal and provincial governments to remove the pay disparity among the employees of two governments.
Both the federal and provincial governments had been asked to present their proposals to the cabinet in its forthcoming meeting for removing the employees’ sense of deprivation, the special assistant added.
Dr Firdous said SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari informed the cabinet about their interaction with the parents of students stranded in China due to the coronavirus outbreak.
They also told the cabinet about the welfare measures taken by their ministries in that regard, she added.
She said the model of testing agencies, which conducted tests for recruitment in various government departments, also came under discussion.
The Adviser on Establishment and Special Assistant on Social Welfare were asked to devise a comprehensive course of action regarding their process of testing for the posts of grades 1 to 5, Dr Firdous added.
She said the cabinet approved the resignation of Board of Investment Chairman Zubair Gilani, who had quit due to personal reasons.
The cabinet reviewed the progress on the public welfare initiatives of ministries to ensure direct relief to the masses.
The special assistant said the cabinet also decided that the pensioners’ proof of life would be linked with biometric system. Now, the widows of pensioners would only have to submit the certificates of remarriage once an year instead of two times. Moreover, the condition for the widows of above 60 had been abolished.
The cabinet also underlined the need for upgrading the prevailing system of issuance of power, gas and other utility bills by embracing digital technologies.
It was told that the bills would soon be disbursed through online and digital platforms like mobile phone apps and e-mail to ensure their timely delivery.
Dr Firdous said the cabinet also decided to evolve a policy action for replacing branded medicines at hospitals in place of generic ones.
The cabinet also decided to relax ban on import of food for metabolic children with the help of Pakistan Baitul Maal and a statutory regulatory order would be introduced in the next budget, she added.
On the issue of power, the SAPM said the prime minister informed the meeting that the government had saddled with energy crisis due to costly agreements of the previous government related to power generation, tariff determination and liquefied natural gas import.
The prime minister decided to hold massive consultation on energy in the next cabinet meeting, where the agreements signed by former petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to benefit his family members and cronies during his party’s government, would also be exposed, she added.
The SAPM said the prime minister rejected a summary, moved by the Punjab Government for the import of anti-dengue vaccine from India, owing to inhuman acts of Modi government in Kashmir and anti-Muslim policies, and stressed the need for exploring alternatives for the purpose.
She said the cabinet had imposed ban on the export of of personal protective equipment, including special dress, gowns, gloves and surgical masks to avoid their shortage in the market.
The cabinet also resolved to ensure 50 per cent quota of the capital’s dwellers on Grade 1 to 15 government posts in Islamabad.
The SAPM said SAPM Dr Ishrat Husain presented his committee’s third report of restructuring of the federal government institutions. He proposed complete privatization of 16 institutions and transfer of over 30 to the Pakistan Sarmaya Company.
She said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz after completing its 5-year tenure of government had put the economy on “ventilator” and that was why the party rejected by the masses at the hustings.
To a query, she said the coronavirus was not an issue of any political party but that of the entire nation. All the provinces would be provided full assistance for overcoming the epidemic, she added.
