Cabinet endorses PCO, emergency
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday endorsed the imposition of emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz chaired the cabinet meeting, which also endorsed the president’s commitment to early completion of the third and final phase of the democratic process, which he had initiated after assumption of power.
The cabinet also fully supported president’s re-election, which the prime minister said was
backed by 57 per cent of the electoral college, including elected representatives from all the four provinces.
According to cabinet sources, the meeting also deliberated upon the possibility of postponing the general elections for three months but could not reach any decision. Sources said the cabinet was divided over the issues of postponing the elections and extending the tenure of the assemblies. It left the final decision to President General Pervez Musharraf.
Foreign Minister Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri informed the cabinet that the international reaction, mostly from the western countries, was negative on the imposition of emergency in the country.
Addressing the meeting Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz emphasised that the imposition of emergency and the promulgation of the Provisional Constitutional Order was neither intended to delay the elections nor slow down the democratic process. It was primarily intended, he said, to address the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country, especially in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and in certain settled districts of the North West Frontier Province including Swat as well as creating harmony between the pillars of the State i.e. the legislature, the judiciary and the executive.
Explaining the circumstances leading to the imposition of emergency, the Prime Minister said, no country can be governed effectively unless there is harmony amongst all the three pillars of the State and they function independently within their constitutional mandate. “Unfortunately, the constitutional writ of the government was damaged through various actions which made governance difficult. It was affecting the economy too,” he said.
The prime minister reaffirmed his own as well as President Musharraf’s belief in the independence of the judiciary and said they had the greatest regard and respect for the judiciary. The cabinet granted exemption from payment of house/property tax to the owners of up to 5-marla houses or apartments up to 720 Sq feet in all the cantonment board areas of the country with immediate effect.
The cabinet approved amendments to the Northern Areas’ Legal Framework Order 1994 and the Northern Areas Rules of Business 1994. The cabinet approved Pakistan-Malaysia Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement for closer economic partnership. This historic and landmark agreement is the first bilateral FTA between two Muslim countries, both members of OIC; it is Malaysia’s first such agreement with any country of South Asia and also Pakistan’s first comprehensive agreement with any country.
The Prime Minister said that relations between Pakistan and Mauritius have improved and an Islamic Centre has been set up there with the help of Pakistan. “One important road has been named after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Mauritius as a symbol of friendship between the two countries,” he said.
The cabinet accorded approval in principle to the Ministry of Interior to start negotiations on the draft MOU between Pakistan and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) for facilitating the Government of Pakistan to review the training curricula and enhancing the professionalism of the Pakistan police force.
The cabinet also approved signing of Inter-governmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network, revision of the convention between Pakistan and Japan for the avoidance of double taxation, as also negotiating draft MOU with Indonesia and Portugal on defence cooperation.
The cabinet also approved establishment of National Language Authority through an Act of the Parliament and amendment in Civil servants Act, 1973 regarding promotions. It was decided that the cases of promotion of government servants in BPS 1-15 will be approved by the secretary concerned of the Ministry/Division, promotion cases of government servants in BPS 16-18 will be approved by the Minister while the promotion cases of government servants in BPS 19 and above will be approved by the prime minister who shall be the competent authority to accept or reject the recommendations of the Central Selection Board without according any reasons. The prime minister may, however, ask for a report in the matter from the minister in charge of the officer/officers.
Source: The News
Date:11/7/2007
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
