ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved relief for prisoners above 65 years of age, adolescent children involved in petty crimes and sick inmates who could not be treated in jails. The relief for the inmates was approved on the proposal of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Briefing the media on the outcome of the cabinet meeting, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said the data of such prisoners was being collected from the provinces.
Law Minister Dr. Farogh Naseem was also present on the occasion. She said the cabinet was informed that the committee on jail reforms would present its report in the next meeting.
The cabinet endorsed the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict allowing former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to proceed abroad for medical treatment despite the fact that his name was on the Exit Control List (ECL).
The cabinet also decided not to challenge the Supreme Court judgment. Some cabinet members, who earlier had recommended appealing the decision, remained silent on the subject. The federal cabinet met in the forenoon when Nawaz Sharif had left for London about an hour ago.
Sources told The News that the environment in thefederal cabinet was tense and scary in the wake of recent political happenings in the country. She maintained that the prime minister was determined to pass the “fruits” of improving economy on to the people.
She said the prime minister updated the cabinet on improving the economic indicators of the country. Imran said for the first time the current account deficit had decreased due to the measures taken by the government's economic team.
He said improvement in the economic indicators had restored the confidence of local and foreign investors and directed all ministries and departments to accelerate efforts for implementation of people-friendly policies of the government.
The prime minister directed that each ministry should assess its performance on a monthly basis regarding providing relief to the people. The cabinet discussed the importance of alternative energy in the overall energy mix and how to increase its share. It approved the new renewable energy policy in principle.
The special assistant said the cabinet endorsed the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee's taken in the last meeting. It also formally approved the decisions made in the JCC meeting between Pakistan and China. The cabinet also approved the National Tariff Policy.
APP adds: The federal cabinet also discussed the departure of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif abroad after the Lahore High Court verdict and expressed its determination to improve laws to ensure equal and across-the-board implementation of all. It vowed to create a society based on justice.
Dr Firdous said courts could also give relief to Asif Ali Zardari if he knocked their doors, adding that JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman had to go empty-handed from Islamabad. She said at the outset of meeting, the prime minister updated the cabinet on the outcome of government’s economic reforms.
The cabinet was apprised that 19 posts were vacant in the Industries Ministry, 16 in Health Services, 16 in Power Division, 10 in Petroleum Division, nine in Science and Technology, seven each in the Federal Education and Professional Training, Finance and Commerce divisions, four each in the Information Technology, Food Security and Cabinet Division, three each in Inter-Provincial Coordination Division and Information Ministry, two each in Overseas Pakistanis Division, Housing and Works, Establishment Division, Maritime Affairs, Planning Division and Climate Change Division.
One post each was vacant in the Aviation Division, Textile Division, Defence Division, Revenue Division, Kashmir Affairs and Water Resources Division. The prime minister expressed concern over the vacant key posts and issued directives for early appointments on the same.
The cabinet also approved the appointment of Raza Abbas Shah as CEO of Engineering Board, Rizwan Bhatti as CEO of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation and Khawar Jamil as Mohtasib Federal Insurance.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Law and Justice Dr Farogh Naseem said the federal cabinet had unanimously decided not to appeal the Supreme Court against the interim order of the Lahore High Court (LHC) giving one-time permission to Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad on health grounds.
He said the government’s right to appeal was intact and it would use its right after the Lahore High Court would hear the merits of the case of Nawaz Sharif in January and gives its final verdict. “The reason for not filing the appeal was that the Supreme Court almost never heard appeals on interim orders of the high courts,” he explained.
He said the cabinet had earlier unanimously decided to give one-time permission to Nawaz Sharif on the condition that he would furnish an indemnity bond of Rs7 billion.
The LHC, however, suspended the decision of the federal cabinet as far as condition of indemnity bond was concerned but it kept the government’s time limit of four weeks given to Nawaz Sharif for his treatment abroad.
“We tried to take the indemnity bond from the Sharif family. However, Shahbaz Sharif refused to give the indemnity bond.” He said there were court decisions about the indemnity bonds and giving permission to a convict to go abroad in light of the recommendations of doctors.
The minister said the issue of Nawaz Sharif should not be politicised, as it was not a personal matter for him or Prime Minister Imran Khan and the agenda was across-the-board accountability and creation of a corruption-free society.
He said details of the case of Nawaz Sharif would be brought to the notice of the government of United Kingdom, adding Pakistan’s High Commission in London would seek periodical reports from the doctors of Nawaz Sharif on his health.
“If Nawaz Sharif did not return, then Shahbaz Sharif would face contempt of court proceedings,” he observed. He said Nawaz Sharif had a serious health issue and so he was allowed to go abroad. He prayed for an early recovery of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari.
