• Calls for rapid halt to Gaza bombing; finalises appointments to key NAB roles• Okays extradition requests for 2 Pakistanis• Solangi says polls to be held in January regardless of climate issues• Registered Afghan refugees protected, solely unlawful immigrants to be repatriated
ISLAMABAD: The federal cupboard on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for privatising Pakistan Internationwide Airways (PIA), whose complete losses have elevated to Rs750 billion.
It additionally strongly condemned Israel’s aggression on Palestinians, calling it a blatant violation of UN resolutions and demanding a right away halt to the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.
The cupboard additionally authorised the appointments of former Lahore Excessive Courtroom decide Sohail Nasir as deputy chairman of the Nationwide Accountability Bureau and Syed Ehtesham Qadir Shah as its prosecutor basic for accountability. Each positions fell vacant final month. The appointments have been later notified.
The cupboard assembly, presided over by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, additionally determined that no real and registered Afghan refugee can be repatriated, and the continued crackdown would solely goal these staying illegally in Pakistan.
Talking to reporters after the cupboard assembly, caretaker Data Minister Murtaza Solangi stated the cupboard ratified the choices taken within the conferences held on Jan 21 and 28 concerning the state-owned enterprises, together with PIA’s privatisation.
Flanked by caretaker Privatisation Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad, Mr Solangi stated the cupboard additionally authorised a proposal to rent the providers of a consortium for monetary advisory to unload PIA.
Mr Fawad insisted on the event that PIA’s sale was unavoidable as its complete losses had shot as much as Rs750bn, or Rs12.7bn per thirty days.
“Presently, the PIA fleet has 37 plane, of which 15 are already grounded. It means we’re struggling such an enormous loss solely to fly 22 planes — and most of them have accomplished their flying life,” he stated.
He assured that no worker of the airline would turn out to be jobless within the privatisation course of.
Gaza bombing
The federal cupboard additionally strongly condemned Israel’s bombardment, significantly focusing on civilians in Gaza, apart from expressing concern over the unstable state of affairs stemming from Israel’s unlawful occupation, oppression of Palestinians for many years, and blatant violations of United Nations Safety Council (UNSC) resolutions on this regard, Mr Solangi stated.
The minister stated the cupboard had known as for a right away halt to Israeli bombardment of civilian areas of Gaza, along with the lifting of a blockade of the Palestinian exclave in order that its residents might get meals and reduction gadgets. The cupboard assembly additionally known as for immediate measures to permit worldwide help to succeed in the civilians within the Gaza Strip.
The assembly harassed the necessity to deal with the Palestine subject in keeping with the related UNSC decision and by restoring the pre-1967 standing of Palestine.
Mr Solangi stated on the presser that no motion was being taken against Afghan residents who had proof of registration playing cards and had been residing in Pakistan for the final 40 years.
“The federal government is not going to act towards those that have Afghan citizen playing cards verified by the earlier Afghan authorities,” he stated.
The Oct 31 deadline for the voluntary return solely utilized to those that didn’t have any authorized doc, he stated, including that 1000’s of unlawful residents had began returning to their international locations.
Mr Solangi additionally backed a call of the ECP to carry basic elections in January, dismissing objections from some political circles that polls shouldn’t be performed in freezing climate to make sure most voter turnout. “The nation’s electoral historical past means that polls have been held in excessive cold and warm climate,” he added.
Elections can be held as per the ECP schedule, he stated, including that the caretaker authorities would offer all-out help to the electoral physique on this regard.
On the advice of the Ministry of Inside, the cupboard approved the extradition of two Pakistani residents — of Shahzad Ahmed, son of Wali Muhammad Qureshi, to the UAE in a fraud case; and of Arshad Ali, son of Mazhar Ali, to Kuwait.