Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the performance of ministries will be evaluated every two months following the determination of key performance indicators, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet in Islamabad, the prime minister said the ministries demonstrating strong performance will be commended.

“From this year, we will determine key performance indicators for the ministries to evaluate their performance every two months,” he said, emphasising that enhancing ministries’ performance was ultimately about delivery and service to the nation.

Expressing satisfaction over the stock market touching record levels this week, the prime minister said that the development reflected the positive business sentiment and that collective efforts were being made for the economic growth of the country.

PM Shehbaz also expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in recent monsoon rains across the country. He especially regretted the incident in Swat, emphasising the need to take effective measures in the future to prevent such incidents.

Mons­oon rains in Pakistan have been linked to more than 110 deaths, including dozens of children, since they started in late June, according to government figures released on Monday.

On Tuesday, President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz reiterated their commitment to working together with each other for the country’s sake.

“The meeting involved discussions on the country’s political, economic, and security situation. The state of law and order in the country and measures against terrorism were also discussed,” according to a press release by the Presidency.

Last week, PM Shehbaz said that transforming the outdated system into a modern, digital and effective governance model is among the government’s top priorities, as economic development and prosperity are not possible without modernising the system to meet contemporary demands.

Cabinet approves 15pc increase in EOBI pensions

The federal cabinet approved a 15 per cent increase in pensions provided by the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), effective from January 1, 2025, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

This increase will be funded from the institution’s own resources, according to APP.

The prime minister directed the formation of a cabinet committee to introduce institutional reforms in EOBI.

The committee will also deliberate on proposals to extend old-age benefits to the informal labour sector, including domestic workers, agricultural labourers, and other marginalised employment categories that have been previously overlooked.

These reforms aim to ensure that workers in these neglected sectors receive their due rights.

The cabinet also approved the initiation of necessary legal procedures regarding the draft of the Sea Carriage Shipping Documents Bill 2025, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.

On the recommendation of the Ministry of National Health Services, the cabinet approved a five-year extension of the exemption on the import of anti-cancer, cardiac, and life-saving drugs used in hospitals and related healthcare institutions.

These medicines are considered vital for saving human lives, and the exemption is intended to ensure their prompt availability.

These drugs will be available only in hospitals and authorised institutions, with a ban on open market sales. Import of these medicines will require prior approval from the relevant licensing authority.

The federal cabinet also endorsed the decisions made in the meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases held on July 2 and 3.