Prime Minister Imran Khan chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet has directed the ministries concerned to take measures to stabilize the prices of essential items and ensure their availability in markets for the benefit of common man. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said this while briefing the media persons about decisions taken by the federal cabinet on Monday.
She said that PM Imran Khan has directed authorities to control inflation and take action against profiteers and hoarders. She added that the Prime Minister has convened a meeting of provincial chief ministers and chief secretaries on Friday next in which measures would be discussed to activate the price control committees at grassroots level.
The Prime Minister directed that a mechanism should be developed in coordination with provincial Auqaf Departments to take steps for retrieval of land and its proper use for public service purposes. A data bank on these pieces of land should also be prepared, she said.
Dr Awan said the cabinet endorsed the decisions of previous meeting of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) held on October 02. She said the cabinet was given various proposals regarding the establishment of Real Estate Regulatory Authority.
She said the cabinet had approved the e-commerce policy and considered the rising trend of e-shopping, and expanding the reach of smartphones in the country.
The Prime Minister also directed officials to maintain the prices of life-saving medicines. The participants of the meeting were told that a summary is being moved to reduce the prices of 89 medicines.
The cabinet also approved the appointment of board members under the Health Care Act, she said.
Awan said the federal cabinet gave approval to the new master plan of Islamabad on immediate basis. For this purpose, professional architects and consultants of international repute will be hired to undertake the process, she added. She further said special consideration will be given to environmental challenges while drafting the new master plan for the federal capital.
The special assistant to prime minister on information and broadcasting said the cabinet meeting decided to take up Sector G-6 on pilot basis to introduce reforms and develop it into a modern housing area. The meeting decided that structural plan of high-rise buildings and other infrastructure would also be revised and overlapping of work would be reduced.
She said existing master plan of Islamabad had been made in the 1960s and it has not been revised so far. As a result, a mushroom growth and unplanned development was witnessed in different areas of the federal capital, putting a strain on essential services. This unplanned growth also disturbed the beauty of Islamabad.
The cabinet also accorded approval to restructuring of Capital Development Authority. The special assistant said after restructuring, CDA will be transformed into a modern and vibrant development authority to ensure the delivery of services to the residents as well as improving the housing sector.
The cabinet also approved a policy regarding Langar service of Ehsaas Programme. It was decided that further Langar facilities will be set up on public private partnership basis.
Awan said the Prime Minister took the cabinet into confidence regarding his recent visits to China and Iran. In China, he discussed economic, defense, social, business, and people to people ties between Pakistan and China with Chinese leadership to enhance bilateral relations and further improve cooperation between the two countries.
In addition, China accepted Occupied Kashmir as a controversial issue in the joint press release issued at the conclusion of visit. The Prime Minister thanked China for taking this principled stand.
"Pakistan is playing a vital role for stability in the region," she said, adding that the federal cabinet has expressed satisfaction over relations with China.
The Prime Minister also took the cabinet into confidence regarding his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia in a bid to mend differences between the brotherly Islamic countries. She said Pakistan's economic and strategic power can increase to manifold when the brotherly Muslim countries are united.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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