F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Wednesday ruled out any change, amendment or extension in the polls date announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“No extension, amendment or change in the election date given by the Election Commission is on the agenda,” Murtaza Solangi said while addressing a news conference along with the health and IT (information technology) ministers after a meeting of the Federal Cabinet. The cabinet meeting was presided over by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.
The information minister said, “So far, no such incident has occurred which leads to the postponement of the elections.” Sharing the decisions of the Federal Cabinet, he said the forum had rejected the “unilateral verdict” of the Indian Supreme Court regarding the illegal annexation of Jammu and Kashmir by India as an illegal decision.
“Jammu and Kashmir is not an internal issue of India rather an international dispute that has been an unresolved agenda at the UN Security Council for over seven decades,” he said, adding the so-called decision of the Indian SC would not have any impact on the Kashmir issue. Solangi said the Federal Cabinet called upon on the international community to strongly condemn the illegal Indian move that usurped the rights of Kashmiris.
He said that the Indian Supreme Court committed a flagrant violation of India’s international commitments and obligations by unilaterally dismissing the petitions against its illegal action of August 5, 2019. “We believed that the so-called decision will give boost to our efforts for the legitimate solution of the Kashmir issue,” the minister said while quoting the prime minister as saying.
He said the Kashmir issue should be decided according to the resolutions of the United Nations and as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The minister said Pakistan would continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir. At the outset, the cabinet strongly condemned the D I Khan terrorist attack and prayed Allah Almighty to rest the souls of martyrs in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss with fortitude.
Paying tributes to the martyrs, PM Kakar stated that they were pride of the nation and vowed that the war against terrorism would continue till complete elimination of the scourge. Minister Solangi said that the cabinet made it clear that such cowardly acts of terrorism could not deter the determination of the Pakistani nation.
While giving details of the cabinet decisions, he said that it gave approval to the Memorandum of Understanding on mutual political exchanges between the Republic of Gambia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in the context of Pakistan’s “Engage Africa” policy. The minister said that the cabinet approved the immediate termination of contract of the managing director of the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) for misuse of the authority and directed for disciplinary action against him.
It also gave its consent that Mian Mohammad Shafiq, Chief Executive Engineer, would assume the charge as NTC’s acting managing director till the appointment of new managing director, he added. The cabinet, he said, also approved changes in the rules and regulations to facilitate the Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan, who neither have any legal proof of entry nor processing fee, and want to leave for a third country.
According to the new rules and regulations, Solangi said, the Afghan nationals, who have to evacuate to a third country and do not have any legal documents or processing fees, would be fined $400 for overstaying in Pakistan instead of $ 800. The deadline for stay of such Afghan nationals in Pakistan had also been extended from December 31, 2023 to February 29, 2024, he said, adding the fine, after the due date, would be imposed at the rate of $100 per month with a maximum limit of $800.
He said the measures were aimed at encouraging the Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan to obtain legal documents or finalize evacuation agreements as soon as possible in a third country. Solangi said the cabinet also approved the first “National Space Policy”, under which international companies would be allowed to provide services to customers through Low Orbit Communication Satellite in Pakistan.
