ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the federal cabinet on Wednesday in which some important decisions are likely to be taken.

According to the agenda of the meeting available with Dawn, nine important issues will be discussed including reorganisation of accountability courts in the country.

A source in the government told Dawn that since the National Accountabi­li­­ty Bureau (NAB) has be­­come toothless and a large number of its cases have been transferred to other anti-graft watchdogs such as the Federal Investi­ga­tion Agency (FIA), Fed­eral Board of Revenue (FBR), State Bank of Pak­is­­tan (SBP), Securities and Exchange Commis­sion of Pakistan (ECP), sev­­eral accountability courts have become redundant.

Under a proposal to be discussed at the cabinet meeting, the government intends to reduce the number of accountability cour­­ts and re-adjust their jud­ges to other courts.

One of the points of federal cabinet meeting’s agenda is about reorganisation of accountability courts.

Another important agenda item the cabinet is likely to approve is the Federal Public Private Partnership (P3) Policy of Pakistan 2023-24 which aimed at facilitating investors in different fields.

The meeting would also decide about the proposed bill regarding establishment of National Institute of Modern Scie­n­ces and Federal Educa­tion & Professional Training.

It is likely to approve the conferment of foreign award for Foreign Affairs Services upon Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry, Ambassador, by the government of Cote d’Ivoire.

The cabinet will also designate Special Court-II (Anti-Terrorism), Islam­abad, to try cases under Official Secrets Act, 1923.

The meeting is likely to allow appointment of Federal Inspector of Drugs (FIDs) and his area of jurisdiction under Drug Regulatory Autho­rity of Pakistan (DRAP).

A draft MoU between Ministry of Labour, Qatar, and Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development will also be tabled for approval in the meeting.

The meeting is also li­­kely to ratify the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet in its meeting held on April 4.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2024