Govt well set to achieve PM’s 100 Days Change Agenda: Shehzad Arbab

Govt well set to achieve PM’s 100 Days Change Agenda: Shehzad Arbab
APP58-03 ISLAMABAD: October 03 – Mohammad Shehzad Arbab, Adviser to PM and Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Federal Minister for Information briefing media on the 100 Days Reform Agenda. APP

ISLAMABAD, Oct 3 (APP):Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment Mohammad Shehzad Arbab Wednesday said federal and provincial governments were working seven days a week to achieve the targets set under the Prime Minister’s 100 Days Agenda and had already achieved 35 out of 100 milestones.
“We are on track to deliver 100 milestones in 100 days by engaging with the stakeholders within and outside the government. So far we have completed 35 milestones and the rest will be accomplished during the remaining
56 days,” he told a press briefing flanked by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain here.
The briefing was specifically focused on the first 100 days plan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. He explained the broad contours of the agenda of change through a presentation and later answered various questions of senior journalists and anchorpersons.
The 100 days agenda of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said, was based on six themes: transform governance, strengthen federation, inclusive economic growth, agriculture and water, revolutionalise social services, and ensure Pakistan’s national security.
The themes, he said, had been further broken down into 35 initiatives and both the federal and provincial governments got the expert advice where necessary. He said a website site “pm100days.pmo.gov.pk” had been created so that the media and the public could track the progress of the 100 days agenda of change of the prime minister.
“We want to be transparent. We are accountable to the public, so we have launched a website to help people keep track of our performance,” Arbab said.
He said the implementation of the agenda was being pursued both collectively at the federal cabinet, and Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinets on weekly basis. Its progress would be shared with the media at the end of 100 days, he added.
“After 100 days you can hold us accountable and we will tell where we stand. What we have achieved. We are working round the clock to achieve the targets,” he said.
“The Prime Minister recognizes we have got an historic opportunity after 22 years of struggle and he expects each one of us to make the most of every single minute at our disposal.”
On the new concept of the local governments, the advisor said the requisite laws in that regard would be framed by the Punjab and KP governments, and wherever needed, the approval of respective provincial assemblies would be sought.
He said the 100 days plan was conceived by the PTI when it was not in the government. But now being in the government, it was taking the stakeholders on board, which was taking some time, he added.
Answering a question on the local government, Fawad said that under the new system the mayors in big cities and chairmen at district and tehsil levels would be directly elected. Secondly, the powers would be devolved from the provincial to local level to make the people, at the grass-roots level, masters of their destiny he added.
Arbab said the concept of the village councils as was in practice in KP, would be adopted in Punjab and more powers would be delegated to them.
Responding to a question on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Fawad categorically stated that there was no contradiction in what he had said earlier and what was stated on Wednesday. Clarifying he said during the presser on Wednesday, a question was asked whether the representative of the Saudi government would sit on the Pak-China Ministerial Committee of CPEC and the questioner was told it was not the case.
Questioned on Civil Service reforms, Arbab said, Adviser to the PM on the subject, Dr Ishrat Hussain was seized of the matter and would come up with his proposals. The reforms would be introduced definitely as the prime minister was committed, he added.
To another query, he said the Civil Selection Board would meet soon.
The criterion of appointment of civil servants on various positions was their integrity and competence and the PTI government had appointed good people, he added.
Answering a question regarding Karachi Master Plan, Arbab said a task force comprising multi-party representatives was working on it, which would help in transforming the port city.
On the South Punjab province, he said, a task force consisting of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Minister for Planning and Development Khusro Bakhtiar had been set up, which would soon submit its proposals.
To a question of ease of doing business, Arbab said the increase in gas price was done in view of the economic conditions. Many other things were also involved in doing business, he added.
The information minister, however, quipped that the gas price hike did not affect 70 per cent of the consumers and affected only those having big consumption.
Questioned on the accountability, Arbab said, a task force of many relevant organizations like FIA and FBR was working in tandem with the National Accountability Bureau.
He said the officials would be held accountable, but there would be no “witch-hunt.” Bureaucracy had to perform their duties, he added.

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