Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that Pakistan has “removed” several reservations of the United Kingdom (UK) on Covid data as the country seeks to exit Britain’s travel red list.
While briefing the media about the decisions taken in the meeting of the federal cabinet held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, Fawad said that Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan has spoken at length about Pakistan’s coronavirus testing mechanism with Britain’s chief medical scientist.
“We hope that the British government will review its policy,” he added.
Pakistan was retained on the Britain’s travel red list despite diplomatic efforts by several top government officials. The British government had said that it had decided to keep Pakistan on the travel ban red list because the true number of Covid-19 cases were likely much higher than reported across the country, a leaked letter written by Britain’s health minister had revealed.
Fawad said that, during the cabinet meeting, the PM expressed serious reservations on the process for acquiring land of poor people in Islamabad to distribute plots among bureaucrats, journalists, and judges.
Fawad said that the prime minister constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Planning Minister Asad Umar that will evolve a comprehensive policy to check exploitation of the poor people.
He said the policy will formulate a system so that lands of common people cannot be acquired to appease bureaucrats, journalists and judges.
The minister said that the government is pursuing a policy to turn SOEs into profitable organisations.
He said that as a result of prudent policies of the government, all state-owned enterprises, except National Highway Authority, have become profitable. He added that SOEs earned Rs31 billion so far.
The minister said that the cabinet also approved a security plan for New Zealand’s cricket team during upcoming tour to Pakistan. He said that extraordinary security will be provided to the visiting cricketers.
He said that enforcement of Essential Services Act in Radio Pakistan was also approved. He added that the government is also working on reviving the cinema industry for which import of foreign movies, except Indian films, will be allowed.
He said that the price of Remdesivir — a drug used to treat patients with Covid-19 — has been reduced from Rs5,680 to Rs3,967.
Fawad said that port charges on exports have been reduced by 50 percent. He said that voluntary retirement and golden handshake scheme for the employees of Pakistan Medical Council also got cabinet’s nod. It was approved to establish a joint security commission between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, he added.
The minister said that the cabinet approved funds for the payment of outstanding expenditure of Roosevelt Hotel in New York.
Fawad said that the cabinet held detailed discussion on the electoral reforms to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in the country. He said that it is the first government, which is itself calling for electoral reforms, but it is unfortunate that opposition has no interest in this regard.
He also said that opposition’s leading parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party do not have any interest in making the electoral system transparent as they have never come to power without rigging.
Fawad , however, said that Prime Minister Imran and his government are committed to go ahead with the electoral reforms, including introduction of electronic voting machines.
Responding to a question about PML-N leader Javed Latif, Fawad said he is a “political joker and an attention seeker as he keeps making attempts to get the army’s support”.
Latif belongs to a party whose “unfortunate policy is to sit outside GHQ’s gate and seek the attention of institutions,” Fawad added.
