• Haj policy

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Friday gave approval for placement of 600 people on the Exit Control List (ECL) and removal of 235 others from it.

The development was made in the light of a decision of the federal cabinet that was taken on March 16 in which it was decided that instead of the interior secretary or a committee of the interior ministry, the federal cabinet would decide the fate of people on the ECL, a participant of the cabinet meeting told Dawn.

However, the names of those removed and put on the ECL were not shared with the media.

The cabinet also decided to form a sub-committee of the cabinet headed by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal to look into the matters related to the ECL.

According to Mr Iqbal, former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan used to maintain the ECL through a committee, which was against the decisions of the Supreme Court.

Earlier, on the floor of the house Chaudhry Nisar had said that the ministry had specific criteria to put names on the ECL. He had said that during his tenure the ECL issue was de-centralised and a committee was constituted under the chairmanship of an additional secretary to decide on putting the names on the list.

Haj policy

The cabinet was briefed about the progress on the balloting process and Haj Policy 2018.

It directed the authorities concerned to ensure best arrangements for the purpose of facilitation and affordability of Haj.

The source said the government was implementing the order of the court under which 60 per cent pilgrims would perform Haj-2018 under the government’s quota and the rest 40pc under the quota of private operators.

It was informed in the meeting that Rs270,000 had been fixed for each pilgrim in South region and Rs280,000 for North region.

The meeting was told that out of the 60pc government quota, balloting on 50pc quota had been conducted and fresh balloting of 10pc would be held today (on Friday).

In a separate decision, the cabinet authorised the minister for water resources to issue notification regarding determination of tariff by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority in case of hydropower plants.

The cabinet accorded approval for nomination/appointment of director/chairman of the Pakistan-Iran Investment Company.

The minister for power also briefed the cabinet on loadshedding and the current demand and supply situation of electricity in the country.

The cabinet gave in-principle approval for establishment of the Pakistan Physical Therapy Council and Pakistan Allied Health Professionals and Paramedics Council. The meeting directed that the draft legislation be presented before the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases.

The cabinet ratified the recommendations of the Cabinet Committee for Legislative Cases held on April 24, and decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee in its meetings held on April 12 and April 17, as well as decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Energy in its meeting held on April 23 in Karachi.

The meeting accorded approval for appointment of Prof Dr Ghazala Siddiqui as Director of Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, University of Karachi.

The cabinet also accorded approval for appointment/repatriation at special customs, taxation and anti-smuggling courts in Lahore and Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2018