The federal cabinet on Tuesday rejected a summary of the Health Ministry seeking an increase in the price of 10 medicines.
Chairing the meeting at his office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated he did not support the price hike. With multiple items on the agenda, the prime minister tasked Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Minister for Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema, Maritimes Affairs Minister Faisal Sabzwari, Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar and Adviser on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira with improving coordination among the provinces regarding the price of wheat and distribution of urea.
Moreover, the cabinet approved a summary of the Interior Ministry to accept applications for mutual legal assistance from the countries having no written agreement of legal cooperation with Pakistan.
It also gave approval to the decisions of the ECC, including funds amounting to Rs540 million in the favour of Utility Stores Corporation for the provision of essential commodities in flood-hit areas.
Other ECC decisions include allocation of PASCO’s local and imported wheat stock among recipient agencies; transfer of amount to the Afghanistan government on functioning and maintenance of three Pakistani hospitals and the allocation of Rs3 billion to the National Disaster Management Authority for providing relief to the flood-hit people.
On the recommendation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the cabinet approved the extension of the minimum energy performance standards of electric fans till June 30, 2023. The prime minister emphasized improving the quality of products before the new deadline.
The decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases on September 2 were also ratified. This included amendments to Rule-13 of Bio-Study Rules 2017, amendments to Section-15 of Emigration Ordinance 1979, and amendments to Gas (Theft Control and Recovery) Act, 2016.
The cabinet also gave go-ahead to the amendments to the service rules for the post of the Evacuee Trust Property Board secretary.
