Cabinet approves rise in prices of medicines

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet granted approval to an increase in prices of 37 medicines being produced domestically, while allowing slight changes in prices of 13 others.

Briefing the media on the federal cabinet's deliberations, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, said that the cabinet meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, also accorded an approval to a pending ordinance under which those elected MPs who do not take oath within 60 days after election, would lose their seat. According to sources, the decision would help install Shaukat Tarin as Senator, replacing PMLN's Ishaq Dar who had not taken oath even after three years. The minister said Dr Muhammad Ashfaque has been appointed as the new Chairman of FBR and Dr. Ahmed Mujtaba has been given the charge of Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan. Furthermore, Nadeem Zafar has been appointed as the Chief Statistician. The post, lying vacant for the last three years, is considered an important one in view of issues related to census.

The information minister told the media that Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz and Prime Minister's Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan gave a detailed briefing to the cabinet on internet voting and Electronic Voting Machines. He said it was a fact that all elections were marred by accusations of poll rigging in the past and added the EVM would eliminate the rigging problem. Regarding granting the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis who are contributing to the national economy by sending record remittances, Fawad said, “If there were no remittances from citizens abroad, our economy would spin out of control." He accused the opposition PMLN and PPP of conspiring to deprive over nine million Pakistani expatriates of their right to vote. He also termed both the PML-N and PPP as an obstacle in carrying out electoral reforms. He said the parties never came into power without rigging. The minister said that the cabinet had strongly condemned this attitude.

Fawad said steps being taken by the government for transparent elections were in line with the judicial commission's recommendations headed by the former chief justice, who had made 36 recommendations. Fawad said that NADRA has been asked to resolve the issues for overseas Pakistanis to allow them to vote as soon as possible.

The minister said the cabinet also discussed the recent incidents of harassment of women and decided that guidance by intellectuals and civil society would be sought through holding high-level consultative process to decide the way forward. The prime minister, he said, expressed grave concern over Minar-e-Pakistan like incidents. He said a high-level committee was being formed comprising prominent religious scholars, intellectuals and members of civil society in this regard.

Discussing the Covid-19's prevalence across the country, the information minister said hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab are coming under stress due to an increasing number of admissions that have gone up with 1,500 new patients who are utilising 70pc oxygen. Expressing concern, he said if the conditions do not improve in a day or two, the government will reduce the supply of gas to industry and give preference to providing oxygen to patients first.

On the future of Pakistan Democratic Alliance, Fawad said they would continue to hold marriages in London and build new flats there for their new generation. “Let’s see when Maulana Fazlur Rehman will go to London for greeting the newly-wed couple,” he said and added Maryam Safdar also wanted to attend Junaid Safdar's wedding.

To a question regarding the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority, he said the federal cabinet was briefed about the proposed bill and Prime Minister Imran Khan directed carrying out thorough consultations. Ruling out any changes against contractual media workers and fake news, he said other than that, all the amendments from journalists community would be welcome. He said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would involve more stakeholders in the consultation process.