ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft bill for setting up the Pakistan National Commission for Human Rights (PNHRC) to oversee human rights situation and violations, if any, in the country.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is already working (as an NGO) in the private sector and is funded by public donations.
The cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, decided that the PNCHR will be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or any other eminent person of high stature. The cabinet decided to provide maximum facilities to the people in respect of utility bill payment through the Post Office network, in addition to banks.
It approved setting up of a cabinet committee comprising ministers for information and broadcasting, water and power, communications, information technology and natural resources, which will send its recommendations within four weeks to develop a package for providing postal facility for all utility bills' payment.
The committee will devise a way of making it easier for the public to make payments of their electricity, gas and telephone bills. In order to provide better service to customers, the cabinet approved an upper limit of Rs5,000 for the denomination of Postal Orders.
It also okayed the broadband policy envisaging provision of instant internet access and other information technology services to users. With the introduction of this policy the subscription for ordinary citizens would be slashed to Rs1,000 from Rs3,500 charged at present. The policy will provide an 'always-on' high speed internet connectivity.
The cabinet approved the formation of Pakistan Sports Trust (PST) as a successor organization to SAF for promoting sports in the country. It will consist of officials, semi-officials and eminent sports personalities.
It also gave approval to 'federalization' of the Tarnol-Fatehjang-Khushal Garh-Kohat section of the road, an important link connecting Punjab and Balochistan, including providing an efficient link with the Indus Highway.
The prime minister directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to accelerate the pace of work on the ongoing road projects in Sindh and Balochistan so that they got completed within the stipulated time.
The cabinet gave its go-ahead signal to the initiation of talks between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on bilateral investment. It also approved in principle the initiation of negotiations with Kazakhstan for signing a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing cooperation in the fields of defence production, transfer of technology and exchange of information.
The cabinet accorded its ex-post facto approval to the bilateral investment agreement signed between Pakistan and Tajikistan. The ratification of the 'Saarc Convention on the Regional Arrangements for Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia' was endorsed.
