Cabinet Tasks 5-key Ministers to Coordinate With Provinces on Wheat and Fertilizers Issues

To improve the provincial coordination among provinces on wheat price determination and distribution of urea fertilizer, Prime Minister has tasked five key ministers. The task was given in the cabinet meeting.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismael, Food Security Minister Tariq Basheer Cheema, Minister for Maritime Affairs Faisal Sabzwari, PM Advisor on Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Qamar Kaira and Commerce Minister Sayed Naved Qamar are among these five members of cabinet. 

The cabinet was taking stock of the losses caused by the flood situation, crop destructions and future strategy for the people of these areas, to improve coordination among provinces in future, the cabinet assigned these ministers to keep a close liaison with provincial officials.

The federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, has been informed that no evidence of malice intention has been found in the case involving the overbooking of Hajj pilgrims on the government quota. It was informed that unlike what is being claimed; the overbooking case had some reconciliation issues.

It was apprised that the compensation amount has been paid to the pilgrims by the banks which were involved in overbooking. The Prime Minister, even then, directed the finance ministry and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to question these banks regarding their carelessness in this matter.

Prime Minister also directed the SBP to allow the banks in the flood-affected areas to continue their work even on holidays, so that they must get maximum services during these hard times.

The cabinet approved the interior ministry’s summary to accept requests for mutual legal assistance from countries with which Pakistan has no written agreement regarding legal assistance. It also rejected the summary of increasing the retail price of 10 medicines.

Furthermore, the policy concerning the extension of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards for electric fans till 30th June 2023 was also approved. However, PM directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to make every effort to bring the Minimum Energy Performance Standards to better quality before June 30, 2023.

The cabinet also ratified the decisions of Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases (CCLC) and Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), held on 2nd and 8th September 2022 respectively.