Muhammad Asad
ISLAMABAD: Government intended to change rules of business to end conflict of interest in standing committees of the parliament so parliamentarians dealing in a certain field should not be appointed in the parliament committee on that sector. It was shared by the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain flanked by Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar during post cabinet meeting media interaction in Islamabad on Tuesday.
While briefing the media, Chaudhry Fawad said that Federal Cabinet had approved the amendment in rules of business of 1973 to end conflict of interest in respect of Standing Committee of the Senate.
According to him, the law would be applicable for Senators as well as Ministers equally.
While commenting on current upsurge in omicron infections in the country, Fawad said that the infection cases had reached to record 5000 cases per day while admission in Intensive care units (ICUs) had touch to 30 percent of the numbers.
Fawad was of the view that the government and NCOC had been continuously urging the public to get vaccinated and follow SOPs to prevent spread of the pandemic.
According to Fawad, currently pandemic is hitting the areas with least vaccination record such as Sindh, Karachi and others.
Fawad told the media that government has spent $ 2 billion in procurement of Coronavirus vaccine due to which current account deficit ramped up as compare to previous years. Fawad said that Ministry of Industry and Production briefed the Federal Cabinet about the production and availability of urea in the country.
Fawad informed the media that urea was available in all parts of the country; however the problem erupted due to massive cultivation of wheat in the country as well as low prices of urea in Pakistan.
While responding to a media query, Fawad said that government wants to sit with opposition on certain issues particularly on the matter of appointment of new Chairman NAB, Electoral reforms as well as judicial restructurings.
Fawad told the media that government has moved the bill regarding NAB in the national assembly; however it wants dialogue with opposition on the issue.
While speaking to the occasion, Federal Minister for Energy, Hammad Azhar said that much had been deliberated on the issue of State Bank of Pakistan amendment bill recent went through the National Assembly successfully.
According to him, opposition particularly Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has misled the public on the issue, whereas PML-N itself proposed similar legislation during its term in office in 2015.
While comparing recent legislation with PML-N proposed bill regarding central bank, Hammad said that PML-N proposed bill was focused on delegation of government’s authority to Board of Governors of the bank, while PTI government retained the power of appointment of board members, deputy governor and governor of the Central Bank with itself.
While answering another question Fawad stressed that State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and its assets will remain in the control of the government of Pakistan after implementation of the new law.
While responding to a media query regarding gas shortage in the country particularly in Sindh, Azhar noted that the current issue of gas shortage in Sindh is mainly due to stay order taken by the local industries from Sindh High Court.
According to him, after vocation of the stay order the situation of gas supply will improve significantly.
