ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday issued directives to the ministries and divisions to complete the process of recruitment on 129,301 vacant posts within four months.
Briefing newsmen here regarding decisions of the Federal Cabinet meeting, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said no public sector employee would be removed as the government was committed to provide employment to the jobless not to make them jobless. 2020 would be the year of jobs creation.
The prime minister directed the ministries and divisions to dispose of all the pending cases of civil servants as per rules and regulations, penalty measures, seniority, promotions and other matters within the period of three months. He gave the directions after a briefing in which it was told that 106,343 cases of employees were pending in the ministries and divisions for the last three decades.
Dr Firdous said the meeting was also informed that 37 million items, including 6,000 official vehicles, of various government departments had been worn out, but no practical steps had been taken to dispose them of.
The prime minister tasked the PM’s Delivery Unit to pursue all the relevant ministries to resolve all the pending cases within 45 days, she added.
She said the Federal Cabinet gave approval to the proposal for structural and organizational reforms of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. It noted that restructuring of the ministry was imperative to fulfill the government’s vision of correcting the imbalance in technical and administrative positions from existing 80 percent staff having no health background to 70 percent technical staff and 30 percent administrative ones.
In line with the best international practices, she said, the cabinet approved in principle to change the name of ministry to the Ministry of Health and Population. As part of the reforms, a completely new organogram had been evolved, with key positions filled by technical experts alongside civil servants in high administrative positions that would foster an enabling role for the ministry to function effectively and transparently, she added.
A new cadre for health among the Civil Services of Pakistan was approved by the cabinet, under which civil servants would be trained for the newly reformed health ministry, further enhancing its performance, the SAPM said.
Dr Firdous said the cabinet also gave approval for launch of inquiry against five homeopathic colleges working in the country. Steps were being taken to adopt best international practices in the homeopathic sector and the ministry would take concrete measures in that regard, she added.
She said the Civil Aviation Authority briefed the cabinet that in future there would be no need to get a non-objection certificate for building high-rise buildings near airports, which would help attract investment from overseas Pakistanis.
Dr Firdous said the Power Ministry presented a plan to the cabinet, under which the electricity consumers would soon get relief in bills.
She said the allied parties of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were part of the government and would remain in future too. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders had presented all their concerns to the committee led by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, which had been conveyed to the prime minister.
The special assistant said Prime Minister Imran Khan had already given a package of Rs162 billion for Karachi and it was now time for its implementation and then transferring its benefits to the grassroots level.
She said the ailing leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz were staying at home instead of being hospitalized and meeting with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and sometime found at a five star hotel having dinner with the family in London. The Sharif family had been given 48 hours to present a report on the health condition of Nawaz Sharif, she added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that the government would remove reservations of its allies and will move forward with them.
According to sources, the cabinet reviewed 16-point agenda. The prime minister was also given a briefing on the administrative affairs of the ministries, institutions and related departments.
The meeting ratifies decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the legislature committee.
The meeting also approved Pak-Saudi Air Services agreement, Member of Production Control at Heavy Industries Taxila Board and appointment of In Charge Member in the Pakistan Ombudsman Karachi Secretariat.
The report on 4 percent quota distribution of FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan was also presented in the cabinet.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a letter to his Australian counterpart, PM Scott Morrison, and expressed sorrow over the damages and deaths caused by calamitous bushfire in Australia.
PM Imran Khan offered support to the Australian premier Scott Morrison and expressed sympathy to the Australian nationals on behalf of the Pakistani nation. The premier said that he is consistently making the world aware of the challenges of environmental changes which cannot be fought solely by any country.
The premier expressed hopes that the crisis will create an opportunity for all countries to jointly face the climate-related challenges. He reiterated that Pakistan is ready to provide assistance to the Australian government in view of its close friendly ties.
The bushfires have killed at least 27 people, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and burnt 10 million hectares (100,000 square kilometres) of land – an area larger than South Korea or Portugal.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed concerned government authorities to announce the names of officers in public, who were involved in a fraud in Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
A report about the names of the officers deleted from the BISP beneficiary list was submitted to the prime minister, sources said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his anger over the matter and directed concerned authorities to announce the names of the officers in public, involved in the fraud. “Those involved in robbing the poor from their entitlement could not be let free,” prime minister said.
“The names of those plundering the money should be made public,” Imran Khan said. The names of influential government officials (involved in scam) will not remain under the curtain, sources said.
Concerned authorities will initiate implementation of the instructions of the prime minister, according to the sources.
The top officials of provincial and federal governments were enjoying benefits of the Benazir Income Support Programme.
According to the report overall 2543 government officials of Grade-17 to Grade-21 were receiving the BISP tri-monthly handouts, meant for the poor segments of the society.
Some officers were receiving money in the name of their wives and other members of families, which were registered in the list of the people entitled for income support.
Balochistan is the province with maximum numbers of government officials i.e. 741, who were receiving handouts of the income support programme.
Sindh had 342 government officers of Grade-18 who were registered as eligible persons for the income support programme.
The federal government had launched disciplinary action against the public officers of grade 17 and above who had been receiving financial assistance from the BISP.
The federal government had also directed the provincial chief secretaries to take departmental action against the officers who had received BISP assistance meant for the poor.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed to immediately provide all humanitarian assistance on emergency footing to the people affected by land sliding in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
In his latest tweet, the prime minister asked National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the military and all federal ministers to take timely actions in this regard.
PM Imran Khan said the severe snowfalls and landslides in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have caused misery and deaths.
Meanwhile, the Sources said that the cabinet members okayed the launching of a new
airline, AirSial, as well as greenlighted the agreement of Pak-Saudi air services.
PM Imran Khan has been briefed over administrative issues of different ministries and its subordinate departments. The recommendations forwarded by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and Cabinet’s Law Committee have been approved.
The cabinet has postponed the matter related to the appointment of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) chief executive officer (CEO), however, the appointments on the positions were approved including Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) director-general, production control member of Heavy Industries Taxila and in-charge member in Karachi Secretariat of Pakistan Ombudsman. – Agencies