–Shibli Faraz accuses PML-N and PPP of playing politics over coronavirus situation
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the reconstitution of the National Commission for Minorities and allowed the export of rice and locally manufactured hand sanitisers, as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz criticised the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for playing politics over the coronavirus situation.
Briefing the media about the decisions taken in the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Faraz said that Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar gave a comprehensive briefing on the coronavirus situation in the country.
“Umar informed the members that Pakistan’s situation was far better than that of many developed countries,” he added. On the occasion, the prime minister and all the cabinet members, including ministers, ministers of state, advisers and special assistants, decided to donate their one month salary to the Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Relief Fund 2020.
According to Faraz, the federal cabinet also accorded approval to the export of rice and locally manufactured hand sanitisers to earn foreign exchange. It was also decided to include 61 food and non-food items in PSQCA’s quality control list, he added.
He said the cabinet also deliberated on the issue of ban on import of goods from India, except life-saving drugs. The prime minister directed to ensure that there is no violation of the ban.
Faraz said the cabinet also approved the reconstitution of the National Commission for Minorities on the recommendation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
A Hindu community member from Sindh, Chela Ram Kewlani has been named as chairman of the commission. Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad and Mufti Gulzar Ahmed Naeemi will represent the Muslim community in the commission.
Three members each have been selected from Hindu and Christian community, while two members have been named from Sikh community and one member each will represent Kelash and Parsi communities in the commission. No Ahmadi has been included in the commission. The chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology will be the commission’s ex-officio member while the religious affairs secretary will also act as the commission’s secretary.
The information minister said the cabinet was informed that the Committee on Election Reforms had sent its report to the Ministry of Law and Justice. The PM said that reforming the electoral system was part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s agenda and it would remain the topmost priority of its government, he added.
The prime minister also stressed the need to reform the criminal justice system and directed the minister for law and justice to finalise the reformation process within six months. He said that modern technology should be introduced in police stations to change the “Thana” culture. The meeting was updated on the conversion of police stations to model police stations with the introduction of modern technology, Faraz added.
On the PM’s directives, the cabinet was informed that 76 illegal appointments were made on senior posts in seven divisions during the previous government. The ministries concerned were directed to present reports on those appointments in the next cabinet meeting, Faraz said.
Briefing about the implementation of decisions taken during 81 cabinet meetings, Faraz said that a total 1,630 decisions were made out of which 1,376 ( 86%) had been implemented whereas 114 decisions ( 7%) were in the implementation stage.
The minister said that SAPM on Social Welfare Dr Sania Nishtar briefed the cabinet about the ongoing process of financial help of vulnerable segments of the society through the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. It was informed that in addition to 400,000 families as per the data of previous governments, almost 810,000 new ones had been added.
The programme was being implemented in a most transparent manner and on merit, Dr Sania Nishtar said.
‘PML-N, PPP HOODWINKING MASSES’:
Faraz also responded to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb’s media talk from a day earlier in which she had spoken out against the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) summoning of Shehbaz Sharif.
She portrayed it to be a case “as if a very virtuous, innocent and honest man has been humiliated”, said Faraz of Aurangzeb’s briefing.
He said that if Shehbaz had been summoned by NAB, then it was because NAB is an institution in pursuit of the implementation of law in the land. “If you consider appearing before the law an act which tarnishes your reputation then that means you have no regard for the law,” he added.
Faraz said that both the PML-N and the Pakistan People’s Party PPP were trying to hoodwink the masses with catchy slogans and critical statements at a time when the country is passing through a crisis situation. “The government believes in serving the masses but responding to criticism was its right,” he added.
The minister urged the opposition to support the government’s efforts to deal with the virus and provide relief to the vulnerable segments of society.
About PPP’s Sindh minister Saeed Ghani’s news conference, he said the party, which used to rule the country, was now confined to just one province because of its incompetent leadership.
