ISLAMABAD, March 19: The federal cabinet here on Wednesday discussed the threat of an imminent war in the region, and decided to maximize stocks of oil and other essential commodities to meet any eventuality.
“The situation is getting serious and the cabinet discussed every aspect of it in order to protect our political and economic interests,” said Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.
Briefing reporters about the cabinet decisions, he said the prime minister had told all the federal ministers to be present in the capital for any emergency consultations regarding the Iraq crisis.
Mr Ahmad said the cabinet was told that highest ever stocks of oil and other essential items had been arranged by the government to meet any eventuality.
Reviewing the current status of the US-Iraq stand-off, the prime minister briefed the cabinet on the consultations held with other friendly countries.
The minister quoted the prime minister as having said that Pakistan was against war as it was not the solution of any problem.
He said 170 countries, out of 190, had opposed attack on Iraq. Moreover, he said that 116 non-aligned countries had also opposed war. “Fifty-seven OIC members also voted against war,” he said.
He said the meeting also discussed the current political situation. The opposition had wasted seven days and did not discuss Iraq. Had they discussed the issue, almost all the leaders and prominent MNAs would have given their views on the looming crisis.
He said the prime minister had asked the President of the PML-Q, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, to hold talks with the opposition on the Legal Framework Order.
The minister said the government wanted to hold serious talks with the opposition and that these will be started from where they were discontinued before the formation of the present government. According to a handout, the meeting reiterated its resolve of the government to follow a liberal media policy, allowing full freedom to the Press.
This reiteration emerged from a presentation on advertising policy in the public sector which, the cabinet decided, will be based on merit, keeping in view the intended target of each campaign with due weightage to regional publications.
The prime minister emphasized that newspapers in the country were at liberty to print whatever they wished. Freedom of the media, he said, was an essential ingredient of a democratic dispensation and he reaffirmed the policy of his government to follow that course.
He, however, directed the ministry of information to ensure a transparent and merit-based advertising policy which gives due consideration to the needs of the regional newspapers and periodicals.
