The Federal Cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday deferred the summary of the commerce ministry for negative and positive lists for trade with India and approved 20th Constitutional Amendment Bill to empower Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to nominate the name of a caretaker Prime Minister to the President for notification if no consensus is evolved between treasury and opposition on a caretaker prime minister's name.
Speaking at a news conference after the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Information, Firdaus Ashiq Awan appeared confident that the 20th Amendment Bill would be unanimously approved by the National Assembly later in the evening as consensus on the draft legislation had been reached with opposition after a great deal of discussion, consultation and accommodation before it was taken to the Cabinet for approval. She said that outgoing prime minister and opposition leader would have three days to evolve consensus on the name of caretaker Prime Minister after the dissolution of the Assembly and in case of their failure the matter would ultimately be referred to Speaker of the National Assembly.
The Speaker would then constitute a committee with equal number of members from treasury and opposition to evolve consensus on the name of caretaker Prime Minister and their failure to reach an agreement would eventually refer the matter to the Chief Election Commissioner which would be the final authority. The CEC would forward the nomination to the President for notification of the caretaker Prime Minister and the same procedure would also be applicable in the provinces as well. The Minister said the Cabinet had also decided that the next general election would be held on new voter lists and imported paper would be used to eliminate the possibility of fake ballot papers.
The minister termed the consensus on the 20th Constitutional Amendment historic for ensuring free and fair election through an autonomous and strengthened Election Commission as well as a neutral caretaker prime minister. Therefore, a new draft titled the Constitution (Twentieth Amendment) Bill, 2012 containing the aforesaid proposals has been prepared. Amendments had been proposed in Articles 219, 214, 215, 216, 218, 224 (insertion of new article 224A) and amendments in the Second and Third Schedule of the Constitution.
She said the amendment to be effective from April 9, 2012 would provide a legal cover to the 28 members who had been suspended as members of the Parliament by the Supreme Court because their by-elections were conducted by an incomplete election commission after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The Minister said that the insertion of a new article in the amendment would make it mandatory for all the members of the Election Commission to take oath in the pattern of CEC's with a specified tenure of five years, which was not specified previously. The procedure for their removal would same as was specified for the higher judiciary.
The Minister said that the out-going prime minister and opposition leaders would have three days to evolve consensus on the selection of a caretaker Prime Minister after the dissolution of the Assembly and to propose the same to the President for notification.
Awan said that Prime Minister Gilani had the privilege to preside over the highest number of Cabinet meetings - 104 so far - in the history of the country. He was assured full support by the coalition partners in the efforts towards strengthening democracy and institutions. The Prime Minister also directed all the Ministries to publicise their four-year performance through media and directed the Ministry of Information and Technology to expedite the auction of 3-G license and gave approval to the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet in that regard. The ECC had approved an initial export of 100,000 tons of sugar and individual mills' share was capped at 5,000 tons each.
The Minister said that an important agenda item regarding normalisation of trade through finalisation of negative and positive lists with India was deferred with a view to taking on board all the stakeholders. The Minister said that all the stakeholders, especially the textile Industry, had not been taken on board. That sector expressed it concerns in the meeting. She said that the Prime Minister also expressed concern over the haste shown by the commerce ministry on the issue without taking on board all the stakeholders.
However, she said the Cabinet considered and accorded its approval to the signing of co-operation and mutual assistance in customs matters agreement, bilateral co-operation agreement on mutual recognition between Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and agreement on redressal of trade grievances between Pakistan and India which would be signed today (Wednesday) on the visit of Indian Minister for Commerce, textile and industry.
The Cabinet reviewed the implementation status of Cabinet decisions pertaining to Information Technology & Telecom, Inter Provincial Co-ordination and Law Justice & Parliamentary Affairs Divisions. The Cabinet was informed that so far 82 percent of Cabinet decisions pertaining to the Information Technology Division had been implemented. The Cabinet was further informed that 94 percent of Cabinet decisions pertaining to Inter-Provincial Co-ordination and Law Divisions have been implemented.
Secretary Finance Wajid Rana informed the Cabinet that inflation was on a declining trend with the prices of sugar and gram the lowest in Pakistan. The Cabinet considered and formed a Committee consisting of Attorney General for Pakistan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Secretary Law, Minister for Petroleum, Secretary Finance and Member of HEC to discuss and deliberate the proposed amendments in the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design Act, 2011.
The Cabinet considered and gave its approval to the signing and ratification of statute of the OIC Women Development Organisation. The Cabinet considered and gave its approval to amendment in the rulers of acceding states (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) Order, 1972 thereby enhancing a 200 percent Maintenance Allowance of Ex-rulers of acceding/merged state to a minimum allowance of Rs 25,000 per annum.
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