Protocol of retired judges, bureaucrats also goes

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet Tuesday decided that after detailed review, security of former rulers and retired judges and bureaucrats would also be reduced gradually.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said this during his briefing to the media on the cabinet meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, and later replying to questions.

He said that as regards reduction in security detail, the opposition politicians, retired judges and former bureaucrats seemed to have been enjoying more security than the cabinet members. The standard operating procedures (SOPs) and rules regarding provision of official security and protocol to private individuals were being revisited, he added.

The minister said the cabinet had decided that the ban, imposed on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) earlier this year, would not be removed. The ban was imposed after the party's workers staged three days of violent protests across the country.

The minister explained that a report, submitted by a committee, constituted to review the TLP appeal against the ban, was presented in the cabinet meeting. He noted that the cabinet was told that after listening to the stance of the Punjab government and the TLP, and after investigating the matter, the committee decided that the decision to ban was taken on merit and facts."

In the second phase, he pointed out that the Ministry of Law and the attorney general for Pakistan would approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for cancellation of the party's election symbol as per the ATA law. The minister said the cabinet decided in the light of the report that the TLP would not be allowed to resume political activities even after changing its name.

The federal cabinet approved a 15 per cent special allowance for the armed forces in order to bring their salaries at par with other departments, said Chaudhry Fawad Hussain. The latest raise took the total increment being given to the armed forces to 25% as an ad hoc relief allowance at 10% of the basic pay was approved in the budget for fiscal year 2021-22.

The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan also instructed to extend the facility to Rangers and FC as they have not been included initially. The Federal Ministry of Finance had sent a summary to the federal cabinet proposing a special allowance amounting to 15% of the basic salaries of the officers and jawans of the armed forces. The ministry had sought the approval of the PM for the special allowance, but the premier directed it to take up the matter with the Cabinet.

According to sources within the ministry, due to the delay in the interim report by the Pay and Pension Commission to increase the salaries of federal employees, civil servants were given a 10% increment in basic pay in addition to a 25% increase by way of a special allowance, amounting to a 35% increase overall.

The finance division had earlier presented a summary to the federal cabinet in this regard that the chairperson of the Pay and Pension Commission had forwarded recommendations for ‘interim relief’ for the armed forces in order to ‘keep their morale high’.

Fawad said there had been no increase in the salaries of armed forces personnel for the last two years and explained that the Pakistan Army had frozen their salaries. On the civil side, discretionary allowances up to 25% were given to Secretariat employees and a general allowance of 10% was given to civil employees. To make it equal, special allowance of up to 25% is being given to Pakistan Army personnel after two years.

Fawad said that the government was very concerned about the worsening situation in Afghanistan and was making efforts to ensure that a situation was not created in which Afghans would have to leave their homes. He added that the global community should stand with Pakistan instead of simply predicting the number of Afghan refugees. The minister contended Pakistan was observing the situation in Afghanistan and full efforts were being made to learn from past experiences and form a policy: this is not only the responsibility of Pakistan but of the whole world.

He emphasised, “You cannot only come and destroy the country and then say Pakistan can deal with it. The international community and countries should fulfill their responsibilities. Pakistan's full effort is geared towards ensuring peace in Afghanistan”.

Fawad was hopeful of a breakthrough in the government-opposition negotiations on the electoral reforms, as he said the cabinet was informed that the two sides had reached an understanding on several points and there was likelihood of further positive development.

He said the cabinet was given a detailed briefing on electronic voting machines (EVMs), Internet voting and biometric verification of voters. The objective behind the introduction of EVMs was to bring transparency in the electoral system.

The cabinet, the minister said, was informed that due to the efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan, 85 more prisoners jailed in Saudi Arabia were being released and a special plane would be sent to bring them back. He explained that hundreds of prisoners had already been set free by the Saudi government as per the promise of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, made during his visit to Pakistan. Efforts were being made, he noted, for release of Pakistanis, imprisoned in different countries, who were not involved in serious crimes.

Fawad said Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan told the meeting that record 525,000 anti-Covid vaccine jabs were administered in the country on Monday and that so far over 20 million people had been vaccinated in Pakistan, and the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) would give a detailed briefing in this regard on Wednesday. Presently, he said, the corona cases were increasing in Karachi and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, whereas the situation in the Punjab province and other areas was in control.

He urged masses to get themselves vaccinated, and pay no heed to the propaganda as over 1.5 billion people across the world had got the shots.

The PM told the cabinet meeting that a record 500 million trees would be planted in the areas under federal and provincial governments of the PTI during the ongoing monsoon season.

He said the cabinet was briefed on the encroachments in E-8 and E-9 sectors of Islamabad. All the institutions, including the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Navy were directed to remove boundary walls built on the green belt around the above sectors and they had already started complying with that.

PM Imran Khan expressed a lot of concern over encroachments on Islamabad's green areas and had directed the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy to remove their walls/other security arrangements from the green areas as well.

"They have started acting on it. When institutions like the air force and navy do not have that permission, there is no question that anybody else will be given permission" to build on green areas, he stressed, adding that the federal cabinet has instructed the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to make Islamabad an "encroachment-free city".

During the meeting, the prime minister said the government's plantation campaign this monsoon season would be the "biggest in Pakistan's history" in which 50 million trees would be planted. He also directed all ministers to participate in the plantation campaign, Chaudhry shared.

The federal government also approved a three-day holiday for Eidul Azha starting from July 20, he said.

A report on security protocols would be presented to the prime minister next week after which ‘standards will be reviewed and security rationalised.

The minister told the press that Pakistan had reached mutual legal assistance (MLA) agreements with some countries lately. He said such MLA treaties have been signed with Australia, France, Turkey, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary.

Meanwhile, an approval was given for formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) on the request of Sindh Assembly Opposition Leader Halim Adil Sheikh to conduct a fair and impartial probe into the cases registered against him in the past.