PM Shehbaz directs provision of essentials at affordable prices in Ramadan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed concerned officials to ensure provision of essential commodities to the people at affordable during the holy month of Ramadan.

Presiding over the federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister said that the government’s first goal is to provide the people with inexpensive, vital food goods.

PM Shehbaz instructed the concerned authorities to develop a thorough plan to guarantee the supply of food goods at reasonable costs for the holy month of Ramadan.

He said that the federal and provincial governments ought to work together to guarantee that the average person has access to eatable goods at affordable costs.

The cabinet, meanwhile, authorised the nomination of Dr. Hassan Al-Amin (BS-21) as the Director of the National Institute of Pakistan Studies at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, after the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training’s proposal. Through an open process, the cabinet was notified that his appointment was made on the basis of merit.

Following the Ministry of Finance’s proposal, the cabinet authorised Tahira Raza’s appointment as a five-year non-executive member of the State Bank of Pakistan.

Similarly, the interfaith harmony policy and religious tolerance plan were adopted by the cabinet based on the ministry of religious affairs and interfaith harmony’s suggestion.

The cabinet was told that a sub-committee presented the recommendation after reviewing the strategy of interfaith harmony policy and religious tolerance.

Dialogues and conferences with regard to the religious tolerance would be held and public awareness campaigns would also be run under the policy.

An action plan regarding the safety of the rights of religious minorities is also part of the policy. Furthermore, under the religious tolerance strategy, measures would be taken to prevent hate material and literature besides preparing a plan of action to resolve various sectarian differences.

On the recommendation of the ministry of religious affairs and interfaith harmony, the cabinet approved appointment of Laila Ilyas Kalpana and Satwant Kaur as female members of the Evacuee Trust Property Board.

Read More: Ghee, cooking oil prices likely to go up ahead of Ramadan

The federal cabinet, on the recommendation of Revenue Division, also approved the signing of the initial draft of the convention between the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Iraq regarding the elimination of double taxation on income tax and capital, as well as measures to prevent tax evasion and tax non-compliance.

The cabinet ratified the decisions made in the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting held on February 3, 2025.

The cabinet also ratified the decisions taken in the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases meeting held on February 7, 2025.

The meeting also endorsed the decisions taken in the Cabinet Committee on State Owned Enterprises meeting held on February 11, 2025.