ISLAMABAD: Just two days before the expiry of its five-year term, the government on Tuesday took several important decisions, including approval of the National Internal Security Policy (NISP) 2018-23 to address terrorism, extremism and other crimes effectively.

The policy was approved at a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The NISP is based on six approaches — reorient, reimage, reconcile, redistribute, recognise and regional.

A participant of the meeting told Dawn that the NISP 2018-23 was a continuation of the previous policy which was announced in 2013. He said that 120 actions had been recommended in the policy to improve the internal security situation in the country.

The six approaches, he said, provided a detailed implementation plan as to how security forces could overcome the menace of terrorism, extremism and street crimes, besides their own capacity building.

Under a separate decision, the meeting approved issuance of Charter Class-II license (domestic) to a new airline called K-2 Airways (pvt) Limited.

The issue of three honoraria equivalent to three basic salaries — which was recently announced by the prime minister — was also discussed during the meeting. Mr Abbasi said his decision was made controversial, but there was nothing worth criticising. He was of the view that there was dichotomy in the honorarium policy as employees of some government departments got one month salary while some received six basic pays.

The cabinet then deferred the issue of proposed approval for the notification of three basic salaries till the next meeting to be held on the last day of the government, on May 31.

The meeting also approved national transport, films and culture policies.

Discussing the issue of cane purchase receipt (CPR), the meeting emphasised the need for streamlining the payment mechanism to farmers and suggested that the provincial governments instead of issuing CPRs or blank paper receipts should issue bank cheques to the farmers.

The cabinet approved appointments of managing director of the National Engineering Services of Pakistan and the board of directors of the National Security Printing Corporation of Pakistan. It also approved the appointment of director general of the Civil Aviation Authority on an acting charge basis.

It approved reconstitution of the 8th Wage Board for newspapers employees by appointing two additional members on the board. A proposal for reconstitution of the board of directors of the Board of Investment was also approved.

The cabinet approved an amendment to rules of the Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) Order 1972 (President’s Order No. 15 of 1972).

The meeting also approved a cancer control programme formulated by the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2018