The federal cabinet on Tuesday constituted an inter-provincial committee to provide free legal aid to the vulnerable inmates. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information & Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said this while briefing the media persons about the decisions taken in the federal cabinet meeting held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
She said the cabinet discussed the miseries of prisoners, especially juvenile, women, the disabled and those who are imprisoned for non-payment of fines. Subsequently, the cabinet decided to constitute a committee comprising legal experts, secretary interior, provincial home secretaries and inspectors general of prison to categorise the prisoners in term of their vulnerability, she said, adding the committee would provide free legal aid as well as financial support to abovementioned inmates.
She said the Prime Minister has also directed for improving conditions in jails, adding the committee will give recommendations for jail reforms agenda. She said the government will finalise the jail reforms in collaboration with the provincial governments. The PM's special assistant said that the Prime Minister has directed all the ministers to evolve strategy to address grievances being faced by common citizens.
The PM has also sought proposals from the ministers to improve efficiency of their respective ministries and how they could serve the citizens in a better way. The cabinet members offered Fateha for the martyrs who embraced Shahadat in terrorist incidents in North Waziristan and Balochistan and in a plane crash in Rawalpindi, she said.
She said that cabinet appreciated Chief Justice of Pakistan's efforts towards clearing the backlog of cases in the Supreme Court and desired that it will be replicated in the lower judiciary as well. She said that the cabinet also appreciated the Chief Justice for establishing Model Courts. She said that the cabinet also gave approval for establishing National Road Safety Council to reduce accidents on highways and improve travelling on highways and motorways.
She said that the cabinet approved establishing of National Commission for Protection of Children Rights. She said that the cabinet also approved separation of services and regulation departments in the Civil Aviation Authority and decided to improve facilities at the airports. She said the cabinet has decided to take immediate measures for the people affected by recent heavy rains in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Awan said that the cabinet also expressed commitment to continue efforts to widen the tax net and appreciated the measures taken by the Federal Board of Revenue in this regard. She said that Prime Minister took strict notice of the increase in price of bread and directed to raise the issue in ECC meeting. He directed that the government is taking special measures to reverse the price of bread keeping in view the factors responsible for the increase.
She said the Prime Minister had issued directives for issuance of Sehat Insaf Cards to disabled persons. To a question, she said that JUI-F Emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman is fulfilling his personal agenda in the garb of religion. She said seminary reforms are being introduced to impart modern education along with religious education to the seminary students.