ISLAMABAD, Jul 14 (APP):The Federal Cabinet on Tuesday issued directives to the provincial governments for the constitution of provincial finance commissions to ensure equitable distribution of development funds among various areas of the provinces in order bring the less developed ones at par with the developed.
Briefing news persons here about the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar would supervise the matters pertaining to the Provincial Finance Commission in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
He said generally chief ministers and influential provincial ministers utilized development funds in their own constituencies, which created a sense of deprivation among the people of other areas. Under the Provincial Finance Commission, every district would get its share of development funds under a formula.
He said that the cabinet directed the missions abroad to take steps for the release of some 11,376 Pakistanis jailed in various countries.
The prime minister directed that legal assistance should be provided to the prisoners and the missions should strive for their early repatriation to Pakistan if any relief was possible for them due to the coronavirus.
The minister said the prime minister expressed his determination to ensure transparency in the Senate elections. Questions were raised on the transparency and fairness of Senate election in the recent past.
Shibli Faraz said the appointment of heads of various government institutions was a big challenge as no proper system had been evolved for the purpose in the past where irregularities were committed in such nominations.
The prime minister, he said, wanted a system be in place to nominate suitable persons for the key posts.Dr Ishrat Hussain committee was asked to make a comprehensive plan and introduce a transparent system for such nominations on fast-track basis, he added.
He said it was told that the cabinet of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had so far held 93 meetings, in which a total of 1,759 decisions were made, with 1,579 of them implemented, 46 were in the process of implementation and 28 were facing delay. The cabinet discussed the issue of delay and various suggestions were given to ensure implementation of the delayed decisions.
On the issue of healthcare, he said as the government had limited resources, joint ventures with the private sector were proposed to build hospitals on the state land to improve the infrastructure.
The cabinet also discussed the proposal to set up Hajj Fund and steps would be taken to ensure that no institution would spend pension funds for any other purpose. For the Hajj Fund, he added, the Malaysian model
would be followed after removing legal hurdles in its establishment.
The cabinet was also briefed on the proposal to provide solar stoves to the people in northern Pakistan to prevent deforestation in the region.
The cabinet decided to discuss the gas tariff and K-Electric issues in next meeting.
Replying to the questions, Shibli Faraz said the opposition had no agenda or alternate plan for the country’s development as they were were desperately trying to spread uncertainty. When they felt the pressure of accountability, they resorted to such tactics, as they knew about the wrongs they had committed, he added.
He said the opposition leadership were comparing their corrupt and incapable regimes with the honest and capable government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led by Imran Khan. However, they could not deceive the sensible people of Pakistan, who very well knew the difference.
The people’s confidence in the incumbent government reflected from the record $ 23 billion remittances with foreign direct investment touching $ 2.3 billion figure amid the coronavirus outbreak, he added.
The minister stated that Pakistan had changed as the corrupt system developed by the opposition parties while in government had been rejected by people. The former rulers indulged in corruption and ruined with the economy, but built properties abroad to enjoy their lives there whenever the country faced difficult times.
The Sharif family had always escaped abroad leaving their party and workers in the lurch, he added.
Terming Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal a courtier of Sharifs, the minister questioned as to whom he was trying to represent and defend. There had been many reports of his own corruption.
Shibli Faraz said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which had given the slogan “Roti, Kapra aur Makan”, had plundered the national resources and its leaders built palaces abroad, whereas PTI the government launched so many initiatives for the poor, jobless, labourers and other weak segments of the society, and one of them was the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.
The PPP’s provincial government, he said, had left the people of Sindh helpless in difficult times, whereas the Federal Government provided maximum relief to the people of Pakistan.
He reminded the opposition that Prime Minister Imran Khan had neither personal business nor was he grooming someone from his family to replace him in future, as was the case with the two parties.
He said the housing project launched by Imran Khan was a historic one. It was the slogan of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but it was being implemented by the PTI government to provide housing facilities to the lower and middle classes of the society, he added.
The minister said there had been improvement in the status of Pakistani passport by 4 to 5 points, which was also reflective of the PTI government’s transparency, steadfastness and commitment to its cause.
The government was determined to change Pakistan while the COVID-19 and locust threats were temporary.
To a query about the PTI government allies, Shibli said everything was alright and the government was quite stable.
The minister expressed the confidence that the prices of sugar and other items would come down gradually as the government’s objective behind setting up the Sugar Inquiry Commission was to provide relief to the consumers.