ISLAMABAD, July 11: The federal cabinet at a meeting held on Wednesday approved in principle to increase the number of seats reserved for non-Muslims in assemblies in proportion to their population.

Briefing media after the meeting, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said: “The cabinet has constituted a committee comprising minister for law, minister for interfaith harmony and minister for religious affairs to submit a comprehensive    report for bringing in a constitutional amendment in this respect.”

He said the seats would be increased in provincial assemblies on the basis of population.He said the cabinet was updated on the energy situation by the secretary of water and power.

The cabinet was informed that power production had increased to 13650MW, bringing down the shortfall to 3500MW.

With the commissioning of new projects, approximately another 2000MW of electricity will be added to the national grid.

Mr Kaira said the cabinet had decided that there would be no loadshedding during Taraveeh, Sehar and Iftar timings in Ramazan.

The ministry of water and power will set up an interactive website where people will be able to register their complaints about unscheduled loadshedding during specified timings.

The complaints would be redressed immediately, he claimed, adding that the prime minister had directed that loadshedding should be of equal duration all over the country.

The minister said the cabinet approved Rs2.5 billion relief package for Ramazan and people would get food items at subsidised rates at 5700 Utility Stores. The subsidy will include Rs6 per kg on flour, Rs15 on ghee/oil and Rs10 per kg on Dal Channa, Bason, Dates, Rice Basmati, Rice Sela and Rice Broken.

Mr Kaira said the prime minister had directed the ministry of industries to set up Utility Stores in Fata before Ramazan.

The cabinet also approved the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee at a meeting held on July 3.—APP