Cabinet calls for immediate end to Israeli bombing on Gaza

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi on Wednesday said the Federal Cabinet had called for an immediate end to Israeli bombardment of civilian areas of Gaza, in addition to lifting of blockade to provide relief items to the civil population.

He said the cabinet meeting, presided over by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, also called for prompt measures to allow international aid to reach the civilians in Gaza.

Addressing a news conference along with Minister for Privatisation Fawad Hassan Fawad, he said the forum strongly condemned Israel’s bombardment, particularly targeting civil population in Gaza, besides expressing concern over the volatile situation stemming from Israel’s illegal occupation, oppression of Palestinians for decades and blatant violations of United Nations Security Council Resolutions in this regard.

The Federal Cabinet stressed that the issue of Palestine should be resolved in accordance with relevant UNSC resolution, he said, adding it also called for the restoration of pre-1967 status of Palestine.

He said the prime minister had directed the federal ministers to undertake only essential foreign visits.

The Federal Cabinet approved the appointments of former Lahore High Court judge Sohail Nasir as Deputy Chairman of NAB and Syed Ehtesham Qadir Shah as NAB Prosecutor General Accountability.

In the cabinet meeting, he said approval was also accorded to the proposal of hiring services of Consortium for Financial Advisory for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) privatisation.

No action was being taken against Afghan citizens who had Proof of Registration Cards and residing in Pakistan for the last 40 years, he said, while responding to a query.

To another query, he said the electoral history of the country suggested that polls were held in extreme cold and hot weather.