PM briefs cabinet on meeting with political leaders over FATA reforms

• Federal cabinet condemns attack on Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the Federal Cabinet at Prime Minister’s Office in which the prime minister briefed the cabinet about his meeting on Monday with the parliamentary leaders and representatives of various political parties about the implementation of FATA reforms.

At the outset, the federal cabinet strongly condemned the attack on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and prayed for his speedy recovery.

The cabinet ratified the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet in its meeting held on April 27. Approval was also accorded to the renewal of the agreement for coordination in the field of education between Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic signed on March 8, 2005.

The cabinet also approved the signing of MoU on cooperation in agricultural research and development for the ‘Belt & Road’ initiative between the Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and Centre for Agricultural and Bioscience International (CABI) Pakistan.

Approval for the signing of an agreement on the transfer of offenders between Pakistan and Jordan was also accorded, along with an agreement for the provision of credit line facility amounting to US$14 million to Somalia related to the provision of services by NADRA.

Nominations of vice-president, treasurer and the members of governing body of Iqbal Academy Pakistan, Lahore were approved. The cabinet approved re-appointment of Ahmed Owais Pirzada as Member Technical (BS-22) of Competitions Appellate Tribunal, Islamabad.

Moreover, the cabinet granted ex-post facto approval of the notification for revised proforma for inspection of new medical colleges as per the directions of the Supreme Court.  The cabinet also approved appointment of board of directors of National Security Printing Company (NSPC).