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Thursday March 28, 2024

Cabinet okays Majeed Dasti as Sindh IG

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
January 11, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet that had its meeting for about four hours on Wednesday afternoon didn’t discuss political developments with regard to Balochistan and no other political issue figured in it.

The cabinet has approved appointment of Abdul Majeed Dasti, a Grade 22 officer of the Police Service, as inspector general of police (IGP) Sindh to replace Allah Dino (AD) Khawaja, who is currently holding the post but he is an officer of grade 21.

The Sindh ruling party was uneasy about the presence of Khawaja as the chief of the province’s police. The Sindh High Court (SHC) had issued orders against his transfer that was made by the provincial government last year.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired the meeting held at the Prime Minister Office (PMO). The federal cabinet offered Fateha for the martyrs of Quetta terrorist attack. Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions and Northern Areas (SAFRON) General (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch was conspicuous with his absence. He is reportedly unhappy about the handling of no-trust move against former Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Khan Zehri.

Zehri had to resign in the face of no-confidence move on the advice from the federal capital. The footage provided by the PMO of the federal cabinet meeting had no clue about the minister in question. The sources pointed out that the federal cabinet also abolished a committee constituted by the Prime Minister for oversight of Haj affairs and merged it into already existing advisory committee.

The terms of reference (TORs) of the defunct committee have also been made part of the advisory committee. Federal Minister for Hajj Sardar Muhammad Yousaf publicly criticised and opposed the formation of oversight committee citing various reasons.

The matter was taken up in the cabinet and Sardar Yousaf’s contention was accepted by the cabinet.

The discussion on law and order situation is permanent feature of the federal cabinet but the sources pointed out that it hardly had discussions on it except an incident of Kasur.

The cabinet strongly condemned barbaric incident of Kasur and directed that strict action should be taken against the perpetrators of the heinous act. Ministry of Energy (Power Division) gave a presentation to the federal cabinet on power system constraints for summer 2018 and the requirements for the up-gradation of transmission and distribution system in the country. Discussing transfer of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee and Cotton related matters from M/o Textile Industry to M/o National Food Security and Research Division, the Federal Cabinet constituted a committee headed by Advisor to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz to assess cotton production pattern in the country and submit its recommendation within two weeks for making an informed decision. The cabinet also accorded approval to amendment in Capital Development Authority Ordinance, 1960.

It approved ratification of “Protocol between the Turkey and Pakistan, regarding the Exchange of Armed Forces Personnel”; draft MoU between the Department of Archeology and Museums National Museum Rietberg, Zurich Switzerland; the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet; appointment of Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Inter State Gas System Company Limited (ISGSL).