ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: The cabinet on Friday urged Iraq to fully cooperate with the United Nations inspectors to avoid war in the region.
The cabinet was of the view that the Iraqi regime must cooperate with the UN inspectors. Otherwise the US would get a pretext to attack Iraq, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said. However, he added, the meeting decided to stand by the UN Security Council on the issue.
Speaking at a joint news conference with prime minister’s adviser on finance Shaukat Aziz, the minister said the cabinet had directed the ministries of defence, interior, petroleum, finance and information to formulate contingency plans to meet any eventuality emanating from Iraqi crisis.
“The cabinet spent a lot of time to discuss the law and order situation, especially in the event of an attack by the US forces on Iraq,” he said. The government, he added, would not allow any political party or group to exploit the people over the issue.
“The cabinet believes that the leadership of the MMA is wise and mature, and it will avoid creating problems in the country in case Iraq is attacked by the Americans,” he said.
Mr Ahmed said the minister for interior had given a thorough briefing on the law and order and informed the cabinet that a number of measures had been taken to ensure peace and harmony in the country.
“But Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali who presided over the meeting, issued new instructions to Interior Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat to ensure law and order by coordinating with all the chief ministers,” he said.
To a question, he said the premier had held a meeting with MMA leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Thursday and asked him to cooperate with the government in maintaining law and order.
JOBS: The information minister said the cabinet had decided to restore the old method of providing jobs in grades 11 to 16 without the involvement of the Federal Public Service Commission.
“This is a political expediency of the government to offer jobs and President Gen Pervez Musharraf has allowed us to revive the old method,” the minister said. He, however, assured that merit would be strictly followed to provide those jobs.
In reply to a question, Mr Aziz said that the government had certain budgeted provisions to offer jobs.
“FPSC usually takes a year to provide jobs and this is not possible for any political government to wait so long and that is why this task will now be handled by us,” Mr Ahmed pointed out.
Asked about the number of jobs the government wanted to offer, the minister said that various ministries, especially those of health and education, had been directed by the prime minister to make lists of vacancies.
DEVELOPMENT SCHEME: The minister said it was decided that the MNAs must submit their development schemes to the local government secretary by Feb 28 as far as the allocation of Rs5 million for 2002-03 was concerned.
He said that MNAs had been advised to send their development schemes by the end of April or early May for the Rs10 million which is to be allocated to each legislator next financial year.
“The meeting has directed that development schemes should pertain to electricity, gas and communications,” the minister said.
The cabinet, he said, called for strict monitoring of the development schemes so that funds could not be misused. “Monitors will be appointed by the federal cabinet in all the provinces to ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds and audit procedure.”
He said the interior ministry had been directed to reduce the cost of national identity cards from $35 to $15 for overseas Pakistanis. These cards, he added, would be valid for 10 years instead of three years.