ISLAMABAD, March 22: The federal cabinet meets here on Thursday to discuss a host of issues, including the Balochistan, sources told Dawn on Tuesday. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will preside over the meeting which is also expected to be attended by the chief of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, to brief the cabinet about his contacts with Baloch leader Akbar Khan Bugti, the sources said.

The cabinet is expected to formally authorize the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to launch four new residential sectors in Islamabad, including two for overseas Pakistanis, the sources said.

The meeting would also consider a new legislation for Northern Areas besides a law for hedge trading of cotton.

The meeting, said the sources, would review a report of a cabinet’s sub-committee on passports which has recommended inclusion of religion column in the machine readable passports.