Minister for Information, Fawad Chaudhry addresses news conference after cabinet meeting

July 14, 2021: On Tuesday, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain signaled progress in talks with the opposition on electoral reforms, saying the two sides had reached an understanding on a number of issues and more positive developments were likely.

The Minister said that the Cabinet was given a detailed briefing on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Internet voting, and biometric verification of voters. He added that the introduction of EVMs was aimed at bringing transparency to the electoral system.

In a policy statement on the floor of the House last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan invited the opposition to sit with the government on electoral reforms so that it could hold “free and fair” general elections. “The time has come that [when] we fight elections, no one is worried about losing by rigging … We have come to a conclusion – the only solution is EVMs [electronic voting machines]. For electoral reform. Before offering opposition parties to sit with the government, the prime minister said that the post-election rigging period could be ended [immediately] after the election results.

In a wide-ranging speech at the end of the Federal Budget 2021-22 session in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister said, “If our opposition has any other suggestions for reform, they are ready to listen.”

Addressing a news conference after the meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the federal cabinet was informed that the two sides had reached an understanding on several points and further positive developments were likely. Fawad also said that the government has decided to maintain the ban on Tehreek-e-Libek Pakistan (TLP) under the Anti-Terrorism Act and take the matter of its dissolution to the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Cancellation of its election symbol.

Ceremony in honor of America’s first Muslim Pakistani origin federal judge

Among other important decisions, the Cabinet also approved 15% special allowances for Armed Forces personnel “to make salaries equal to those of ordinary citizens.” It also approved new pricing for 49 drugs. The cabinet was informed that 85 more Pakistanis imprisoned in Saudi Arabia are being released on Eid-ul-Adha and a record 525,000 people were vaccinated in the country on Monday. Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Information Minister said that the Home Ministry’s report on examining the TLP’s appeal against the ban on the organization was reviewed and concluded that The earlier decision, which was based on facts and virtues, was correct.

In April this year, the government banned the TLP following the organization’s violent protests, in which some policemen were killed and several others injured. The TLP had demanded the expulsion of the French ambassador for publishing a weekly blasphemous cartoon in Paris. In a press briefing, Fawad said that the Ministry of Law and the Attorney General would approach the ECP for the cancellation of the banned organization’s election symbol for Pakistan. Responding to a question, the minister said that the matter would also be taken to the Supreme Court. “Gone are the days when parties would go by a different name.”

Fawad said the review revealed that former prime ministers, chief ministers, retired judges, bureaucrats, and members of opposition parties had more protocol and security details than members of the federal cabinet. He further said that rules regarding the provision of government protection and protocol to various people were being reviewed and a report would be submitted to the Prime Minister at the next meeting of the Cabinet. The Minister said that the Cabinet has approved a special allowance of 15% of the basic salary of the Armed Forces personnel. He added that last year the salaries of civilians and the armed forces were increased by 10%. However, the salaries of ordinary citizens were later increased by 25%.

Fawad said that the Prime Minister has directed that Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Constabulary should also be given 15% allowance and directed the concerned authorities to take steps for this purpose.

The minister clarified that the prime minister had told the cabinet that 500 million trees would be planted in the current monsoon season. Referring to the briefing on encroachments in E-8 and E-9 sectors of Islamabad, Fawad said that Prime Minister Imran had directed all agencies including Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy to remove boundary walls built on the Green Belt. And they already have it.

He said the prime minister expressed concern over the doubling of the federal capital’s population from 2010 to 2020, while the green belt was encroached upon throughout the city. He further said that the Prime Minister has also directed that the culture of VVIP clubs, where the entry of a common man was banned, should be eradicated and all resources should be used for the welfare of the common man. Go.

On the situation in Afghanistan, Fawad said Pakistan was already hosting 3 million Afghan refugees and was expecting more if the situation in the neighboring country worsened. He said that this is not only the responsibility of Pakistan. On the contrary, the international community, especially the superpowers, must come forward to share the burden. Fawad said that Pakistan was making all possible efforts for a peaceful solution to the Afghan problem, adding that the relevant ministries had been directed to formulate a comprehensive policy keeping in view the emerging situation.

Notification for Eid-ul-Adha holidays issued

The Minister also said that the Prime Minister would soon address election rallies in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Talking sarcastically about the PPP chairman, he said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had already left for the United States in a state of despair that his party had no chance of winning the Azad Jammu elections.

At the outset of the meeting, the cabinet paid tributes to the Kashmiri martyrs of July 13, 1931.

He confirmed that the cabinet had approved three Eid holidays beginning from July 20 and ending on July 22. Urging citizens to have them vaccinated and pay no heed to propaganda, Fawad said over 1.5 billion people across the world had received the shots.

“Over 20 million people have been vaccinated in Pakistan so far,” he added.