ISLAMABAD, Aug 1: The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Ordinance 2007 after taking out the controversial clause regarding compensation for the donors.

The cabinet also appointed an inter-ministerial committee comprising Health Minister Nasir Khan, Law Minister Wasi Zafar, Advisor to Prime Minister Sharifuddin Pirzada, Minister for Ports and Shipping and Housing Babar Ghouri and Federal Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari to fine tune the text of the draft law.

The committee has been given eight days to finalise the draft ordinance.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would then advise President Musharraf to promulgate the ordinance when the ongoing session of the National Assembly is over. The National Assembly is likely to remain in session till August 17.

The ordinance was approved after intense debate in the cabinet that lasted for almost two hours with some of the ministers and key government functionaries advocating non-related donations and compensation for the donors.

The draft that had been presented before the cabinet included certain controversial clauses including the provision for compensated donations in case of non-related donors, which was being implied as an attempt to give legal cover to trade of kidneys.

However, in view of the public pressure it was decided that this controversial clause should be removed thus closing possible avenues for commercialism in transplant affairs.