ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday took his cabinet members into confidence on the sacking of their two colleagues, saying changes in the federal cabinet were unavoidable and more decisions would be taken to ensure good governance.
Addressing the cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Gilani said he had sacked Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi for mismanagement in the Haj arrangements, and Science and Technology Minister Azam Khan Swati was sent packing for ignoring his instructions and taking the matter to the media, a source quoted the prime minister as saying.
The federal cabinet also reviewed the implementation status of cabinet decisions pertaining to the ministries of Education and Finance and observed that 10 decisions pertaining to five divisions had still not been implemented.
It ratified decisions of the economic coordination committee which included lifting of ban on export of wheat and wheat products by the private sector.
The cabinet also ratified the memorandum of cooperation signed between the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Commerce of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to promote trade between the two countries.
The cabinet gave approval to finalise the draft of MoU on the establishment of joint trade committee between Thailand and Pakistan. The cabinet accorded its approval for negotiations on draft agreement between the Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence and Pakistan on Training of Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan at military educational institutions of the Ministry of Defence, Pakistan.
The cabinet gave approval for negotiations on draft agreement between Pakistan and Poland with a view to enhancing the military and defence cooperation between the two countries.
The cabinet considered and accorded its approval to finalise the Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement for loan for the procurement and installation of Non-Intrusive Vehicle X-Ray Inspection System (NVIS) between Pakistan and China. The equipment will be operated under close monitoring and supervision of Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority as per their rules and regulations. The cabinet gave its approval for signing of inter-governmental framework with China for the funding of Safe City Islamabad Project.
The cabinet approved and ratified the signing ceremony of New Charter and Ownership Model of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) between Thailand and Pakistan.
