The cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday announced postponement of the local bodies' elections due to the coronavirus emergency in the province. The meeting of the provincial cabinet was held here with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

Besides members of the cabinet, the chief secretary and all the administrative secretaries also attended the meeting.

Briefing the media on the decisions taken during the cabinet meeting, the Advisor to the Chief Minister on Information, Ajmal Wazir, said the cabinet approved a package of Rs7 million for the heirs of all the frontline workers against the coronavirus.

The meeting also approved the establishment of KP Power Transmission and Grid System Company to enable the provincial government to establish its own grid and transmission system for supply of electricity produced by its own projects.

The cabinet, he said, also extended closure of all restaurants, food points, tourist spots as well as ban on inter-district and intra-district public transport for an indefinite period while meeting with prisoners has also been banned until further orders.

The cabinet also approved KP Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Ordinance to give legal cover to the administration for isolating and quarantining any suspect or confirmed patient of the pandemic.

The ordinance makes it mandatory on family heads and people in charge of educational institutions, public transport, restaurants and hotels to inform the authorities if any of their subordinate staff contracts the coronavirus.

In case of violation, penalties, including imprisonment and fines, have also been proposed.

Under the ordinance, steps taken for provision of relief to the people have also been given legal protection. Under these relief-oriented steps, private education institutions having monthly fees of over Rs6,000 will give a 20 percent discount to their students while those with fees under Rs6,000 will give a 10 percent discount.

No property owner will evict their tenants from their premises for non-payment of rent up to three months, and in case of continuation of the emergency, the period will be further extended.

The provincial cabinet also approved draft of KP Forensic Science Agency Bill 2020 for establishment of an autonomous forensic science agency in the province. The law will help in the solicitation of expert opinions on forensic materials, documents, instruments and samples in judicial matters.

Procedures on appointment of a director-general for the agency concerned and other administrative and financial matters have also been devised under the draft law. The provincial cabinet also accorded approval to the establishment of special courts to try cases under the Control of Narcotics Act 2019.