New heads of FBR, IB appointed

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the appointment of new heads of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), while changes were also approved in the federal bureaucracy.

The cabinet decided to bring about amendments in the law about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to make it more effective. The cabinet accorded approval to removal of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) President Saeed Ahmad Khan who was appointed by the previous government.

Approval for the appointment of Dr Muhammad Salman as new head of the IB, Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan as new Chairman FBR and Mehar Khudadad Luck as Nacta Coordinator was given by the cabinet.

A task force has been set up by the cabinet to ensure fulfilment of the government's promise of providing 10 million jobs and five million houses. The cabinet, which met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, decided the constitution of various committees and task forces to ensure implementation of government's 100-day plan.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry while briefing media persons after the cabinet meeting said the NAB laws will be amended to make the probe body more effective. He said a task force headed by Law Minister Farogh Nasim will work on it. Fawad Chaudhry said necessary amendments will also be introduced in civil laws to address women inheritance issues and delay in decision of cases.

The minister said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was reviewed in the meeting, and it was decided that the prime minister will be given a detailed presentation on the projects being executed under it.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment Arbab Shehzad has been assigned the task of early materialisation of Fata's merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Fawad said a committee comprising Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Khusro Bakhtiar has been constituted to consult other political parties and develop a consensus for creation of a new province in southern Punjab. He said task forces have also been set up to ensure fulfilment of the government's promise of providing 10 million jobs and five million houses. The task forces will complete their working on the matters and present their plan in 90 days’ time.

Fawad said the prime minister will review the performance of task forces after every 15 days. He reminded that the government reforms are an important matter under which civil service reforms hold high importance. “Our adviser for austerity has been tasked with presenting reforms within 90 days. The reforms in the Planning Department will also be overseen since a large amount of money goes into Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for which the austerity adviser will be bringing in reforms,” he said.

Fawad said the PTI government will hold talks with the PPP, PML-N and other parties to draft a workable plan for the creation of a province in south Punjab. "Creating a province is no small task. We will need a consensus and a two-thirds majority for which we will begin talks with the PPP and PML-N," he maintained. The minister reminded that the prime minister is clear about the honest and dutiful officers that they should perform their duties fearlessly, but unclean and dishonest officers would be in trouble.

Adviser on Climate Change Amin Aslam told the media that a 10 billion tree tsunami scheme will be launched across the country on the pattern of the PTI government's Billion Tree Tsunami campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said “Plant for Pakistan Day” will be observed on second of the next month, and on that day, 1.5 million trees will be planted across the country. He said saplings will be provided free of cost at different locations. He said the tree plantation drive is an important step "to save Pakistan from becoming a desert".

The adviser said the prime minister will initiate this project in Islamabad, while the chief ministers will lead it in their respective provinces. "All provincial governments have been called in to discuss their targets with us and hopefully all those targets will be achieved on the day of the drive," Amin Aslam said.

The adviser said the government was creating 190 points all over the country where the Forest Department will work with the municipal administration. "There will be pick-up points, which will be identified through a Facebook page that is being created. This page will tell people that from where they can collect plants and who will provide them saplings," the adviser said. He expressed the hope that all Pakistanis will take part in the campaign.

The cabinet approved the appointment of Dr Salman Khan as DG IB. Earlier, he was coordinator Nacta. DG National Police Academy Mehar Khudadad Luck has been appointed DG Nacta. The PML-N government had appointed Dr Salman as DG IB in April, but the caretaker government changed him and he was brought to head Nacta. Joint Director IB Shujaatullah Qureshi was officiating as the head of the Bureau.