ISLAMABAD – The federal cabinet approved agreements on a number of issues involving various countries in its meeting held at Prime Minister (PM)’s Secretariat and chaired by PM Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday, and gave the go-ahead for authorities to start negotiations with various countries on several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told a press briefing after the cabinet meeting that the cabinet accorded approval in principle to start negotiations with the State of Oman on a MoU for the enhancement of maritime cooperation and exchange of information between the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.
She said the cabinet also approved the signing of an agreement on defence cooperation between the governments of Romania and Pakistan. The cabinet also approved in principle to start negotiations on the proposed draft MoU on media cooperation between the governments of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The information minister said further that the cabinet approved in principle to start negotiations on an agreement on transfer of offenders between Pakistan and Oman. The agreement would help in the repatriation of a large number of Pakistanis in Omani jails, she said.
The cabinet also approved in principle to start negotiations for a visa abolition agreement between the governments of Pakistan and Malta for holders of diplomatic and official passports. Ex-post facto approval was granted for the signing of an agreement on donations to healthcare between the Turkish and Pakistani Health Ministry and of MoUs between Pakistan and Turkey in the field of housing. The cabinet also approved the signing and ratification of five MoUs on healthcare between Turkey and Pakistan.
Approval was also granted for the ratification of an agreement for the encouragement and reciprocal protection of investments between Pakistan and Kuwait. The cabinet also approved the federalisation of five roads being built by the National Highways Authority, under the Sindh Package. Awan told reporters that the cabinet took stock of the status of the implementation of its decisions made in previous meetings pertaining to defence, economic affairs and the environment. The cabinet was told that most of the pending decisions relating to these ministries were awaiting responses from various other countries while some had to be referred to the Council of Common Interests following the 18th Amendment.
She said the cabinet was briefed by the Finance Division in a presentation on the Consumer Price Index in the country to oversee the trend of prices of essential commodities. The cabinet was also told that prices of wheat and oil in Pakistan were the lowest in all of South Asia. The PM stated that efforts must be increased to control the prices of essential commodities and to ensure the accessibility of consumer goods to the common man. The cabinet was told that the prices of essential consumer items remained stable and Pakistan’s exports had increased $2 billion in the month of March.
