ISLAMABAD Jan 5: The federal cabinet on Wednesday decided to constitute a five-member committee to prepare a report on the issue of religion column in the machine readable passport (MRP) and submit it at the next cabinet meeting.

The cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, decided to observe a day of prayers to express solidarity with the people of several Asian countries devastated by tsunami.

All government employees of Grade 18 and above, including ministers, will donate their one-day salary to the president's tsunami relief fund. The cabinet decided that Pakistan would float "Islamic bonds" on December 10 this year, in the capital market of Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

It decided to fight hepatitis on a war footing through comprehensive programme, including clean drinking water to the people. Briefing newsmen, Federal Minister for Information Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that the five-member committee on religion column in the passport, was headed by senior minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal.

Mr Amanullah Khan Jadoon (NWFP), Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind (Balochistan), Ghaus Bakhsh Mehr (Sindh) and Lt-Gen. Javed Ashraf Qazi (Punjab) are its members. Sheikh Rashid Ahmed will also be parts of the committee.

Till a decision was taken on the issue, the minister said, the 80,000 MRPs so far issued would remain valid and more passports as the need be would continue to be issued without the religion column.

He said Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao had been excluded from the committee owing to their public statements in favour of and against the column.

In reply to a question with regard to a recent PML meeting and its President Chaudhry Shujaat Husain's statement on the issue, the minister said, the party president's views would be given due weight.

While reviewing the crop position, the cabinet was informed that the cotton crop had surpassed the target by three million bales and wheat had been sown on three per cent more land.

Because of this the GDP growth rate is expected to go up to seven per cent. The cabinet directed the Capital Development Authority to immediately start development work on all five sectors already in hand and transfer plots to the allottees.

The cabinet, he said, was informed about the law and order situation and expressed satisfaction over the situation. The cabinet directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to submit a report to the cabinet on the purity of mineral water being supplied by 22 companies operating in the country.

Minister for Food and Agriculture apprised the cabinet about the price and crop situation and asserted that the prices of wheat and wheat flour had declined after lifting of the ban on their inter-provincial movement.

The cabinet was also apprised of the water availability position which was found to have registered considerable improvement due to recent rain. The cabinet approved the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) among D-8 countries which include Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.