'Federal cabinet to take final decision for K-Electric, gas prices in next session'

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Shibli Faraz, has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was determined to ensure transparency in Senate election, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Shibli Faraz, while addressing a press conference after attending the federal cabinet meeting, said that the premier asked the members to stay focus on the transparency of Senate election. He said that votes are being traded in Senate session. He added that two provinces have mostly raised voice against Senate polls.

Regarding the appointment of the heads of the national institutions, the information minister said that the past governments had failed to devise a proper mechanism for making deputations in the government institutions. It was not an easy task to bring improvements in a system, he said.

He urged for introducing reforms in the national institutions to eliminate unlawful activities. Faraz said that the federal government wanted to ensure transparency in polls through electoral reforms.

“The federal cabinet has so far taken 1,759 decisions during its 93 sessions. The relevant authorities started implementation on 1,579 decisions, 28 decisions are delayed and 46 are due to be implemented.”

“Many projects for health sectors are under consideration for the construction of hospitals under the public-private partnership. Moreover, a comprehensive strategy is being finalised for the proper utilisation pension and Hajj funds.”

“A briefing was given on the deforestation in northern areas in the federal cabinet. Special instructions were issued to the concerned embassies for the repatriation of 11,376 Pakistani nationals imprisoned in foreign countries.”

“The federal cabinet will take decisions for K-Electric and gas prices in its next session. All provinces have been directed to establish Provincial Finance Commission (PFC). Those provinces where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is in power, the matters related to PFC establishment will be supervised by Asad Umar. The functionalisation of PFC will help the government to bring prosperity in backward areas of the provinces.”

The information minister criticised the opposition, saying that the political parties have neither brought forward any agenda nor an alternative programme. He added that the opposition was trying to create a situation of uncertainty for the last two weeks.

Faraz said that the opposition leaders were fully aware of their wrongdoings and they were trying to prevent themselves from the accountability.

“A culture had been introduced by the past governments which violated merit and transparency. The former rulers had run the governments on the basis of corruption and  greed. The opposition leaders should forget to compare themselves with Imran Khan as they only wanted to save their supremos from accountability instead of working for the betterment of the country.”

“Coronavirus pandemic has shaken the economies of developed countries. The national economy is in a quite better position if it is compared with other countries amid pandemic crisis. The country has recorded an increase in foreign investment, remittance and exports.”

“We have launched a housing project for the construction of low-cost houses for the poor people. We are also trying to ensure supplies of sugar on lowest rates across the country.”