Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday reprimanded his cabinet ministers for not taking interest in resolving the masses’ problems in general as he observed in the cabinet meeting that they were just facilitating people from their respective constituencies.
A source in the federal cabinet told Pakistan Today on Thursday that Gilani expressed displeasure over the ministers’ attitude of taking interest only in the problems confronting the people from their constituencies.
Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan too dropped a hint in this regard during press briefing on the cabinet meeting and told reporters that the prime minister had directed all ministers to mark their presence in every province of the country. “The ministers should not only confine to their own constituency and monitor the affairs of their ministries properly,” she said.
To a question on progress made so far in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, the information minister said a mindset was behind this assassination. “One thing is clear that it is not an act of an individual as a mindset is behind it… its a international conspiracy in which some local and international players are involved,’’ she said.
To a question about the next prime minister if Gilani was removed for any reason, Firdous said the PPP was not seeing such a situation in the near future. “It is too early to comment on it … if it happens the matter will be sorted out while taking allied parties into confidence,” she added.
On appointment of new chief election commissioner, Firdous said the prime minister and leader of opposition in the National Assembly would jointly decide to appoint new chief election commissioner.
The information minister also dispelled the impression that PPP-led the government hade any anti-media policy. “The media is our partner… it is our power and we will never adopt any anti-media policy,” she added.
The federal cabinet reviewed the implementation status of cabinet decisions pertaining to Privatisation, Production and Railways divisions. The cabinet was informed that 50 percent decisions pertaining to Production, 50 percent to Privatisation and 45 percent pertaining to Railways had been implemented.
The cabinet also discussed progress on restructuring of Pakistan Steels Mill. The prime minister directed that complete plan in this regard should be brought before the cabinet in the next meeting.
The cabinet considered and gave its approval for confirmation of the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in its meeting held on March 13. The cabinet was informed during the presentation on Consumer Price Index (CPI) that during the week ending on March 15 there was a trend of rise in price of 25 items including tomatoes, rice, gram pulse, vegetable ghee.
The cabinet considered and accorded its approval, in principle, to start negotiations and for signing of the inter-governmental agreement between governments of Pakistan and the Italy for Euros 57.75 million or CDCP-II Ministry of the Economic and Finance of Italy through Artigiancassa SPA committed to finance the Citizens Damage Compensation Programme II (CDCP-II) through a soft loan of Euros 57.75 million of which 99 percent is untied and 1 percent is tied.
The cabinet considered and accorded its approval to signing of the Agreement on Transfer of Offenders between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
Take interest in masses’ problems, PM tells cabinet
