Interim province status for GB region approved

Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved in principle a change in the status of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to interim province, accepting the recommendations of a reforms committee, Express News has reported.The federal cabinet would discuss the matter to change the status of GB this week in a meeting to be presided over by the prime minister.According to sources, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur would present the summary of the recommendations in the cabinet meeting.Recommendations were presented in the meeting presided over by the premier on Tuesday, said sources.Khan approved the recommendations and directed that they be presented to the federal cabinet.The committee also recommended giving the region its due rights.The meeting at the Prime Minister’s House was also attended by Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan, GB Governor Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon, and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak.Earlier, the committee formed to consider constitutional and structural reforms in GB held its second meeting, which was attended and presided by Gandapur in Islamabad.During the meeting, the committee presented its recommendations, after which committee members met Prime Minister Khan at the Prime Minister’s Office.Meanwhile, the federal cabinet would also approve the next phase of border fencing of the Pak-Afghan border.The meeting would also discuss the appointment of directors in different departments.The cabinet would also discuss the economic and law and order situation of the country.The federal cabinet has decided to separate tax policy from revenue administration in line with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s manifesto.A committee has been constituted to work out legal and technical modalities.The cabinet reiterated maintaining strict fiscal discipline in the country for the purpose of curtailing fiscal deficit and ensuring that the expenditures and revenue remain within the budgeted estimates.The cabinet also discussed in detail the issue of availability of surplus sugar stock in the country and the pending payments of the growers.It was decided to refer the matter to the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet for detailed deliberations and proposing a workable solution to address the issue on priority basis.Prime Minister Khan reiterated during the meeting that the interests of the sugarcane farmers will be protected while resolving the issue of sugar mills.The cabinet, while considering financial difficulties of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), especially related to employee salaries and pensions, has decided on a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs400mn in order to provide relief to the organisation.The cabinet, however, stressed upon the need for chalking out a comprehensive plan to ensure strict financial discipline and enhancement of revenues for the purpose of the PBC’s financial sustainability.The cabinet has approved the reconstitution of a “Search Committee” for the appointment to the post of vice-chancellor at the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University in Islamabad.The committee would be headed by Minister for Human Rights Shirin Mazari.The cabinet also approved the appointment of Ayla Majid, Ghias-ud-Din Ahmed, and Hamid Ali Khan as independent directors of the Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited.The appointment of Faisal Ahmed, a pharmacist at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Quetta, as Technical Member-I of the Drug Court Baluchistan in Quetta was approved by the cabinet.The cabinet approved release of Rs20bn in financial year 2018/19 for the fencing and lighting project of Pak-Afghan border.The cabinet has also ratified the decisions of the ECC that were taken during its meeting on November 22.