ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday with PrimeMinister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the chair unanimously endorsed the stanceof National Security Committee (NSC) of the cabinet, which had expresseddeep disappointment over recent statements of the American leadership.
The cabinet viewed that the American statements were detrimental to thebilateral relationship between Pakistan and the United States, arelationship that had been developed over generations, PM Office media wingsaid in a press release.
“Pakistan has rendered huge sacrifices, both in terms of loss of precioushuman lives and substantial damage to the economy. Achievements made byPakistan in curbing the menace of terrorism have been acknowledgedthroughout the world,” it added.
At the outset of the meeting, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asifbriefed the cabinet about the background of the recent statements by theAmerican leadership and the discussion held during a meeting of theNational Security Committee (NSC) of the cabinet yesterday.
The cabinet also considered other agenda items as well. It considered aproposal for granting extension in the Proof of Registration (POR) Cardsand Tripartite Agreement (Pakistan – Afghanistan – UNHCR) for AfghanRefugees beyond 31st December, 2017.
After detailed discussion, the cabinet agreed to grant only 30 daysextension for POR and also decided that the issue of early repatriation ofAfghan refugees should be raised with the UNHCR and with the internationalcommunity.
Pakistan’s economy had carried the burden of hosting Afghan refugees sincelong and in the present circumstances could not sustain it further, thecabinet emphasized.
The federal cabinet accorded approval for publication of block levelprovisional results of Census 2017.
The agenda item of approval of maximum retail prices (MRPs) of additionalpack sizes of already registered drugs, approval of increase in maximumretail prices of drugs under para 8 of the Drug Pricing Policy-2015 andThreshold Limits of Lower Priced Drugs under para 11 of the Drug PricingPolicy-2015 were discussed at length and the cabinet accorded approval asper Drug Pricing Policy 2015.
Other approvals accorded by the cabinet included:-
– Placement of “Institute for Arts and Culture Bill, 2017” before theParliament.
– Permission to allow transit of 01×40 feet container STC containing 51package of spare parts for vehicles of United Nations Assistance Mission inAfghanistan (UNAMA) from Karachi to Kabul.
– Signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral consultationsbetween the ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic ofPakistan and the Portuguese Republic.
– Signing of a memorandum of intent (MOI) between Pakistan StoneDevelopment Company (PASDEC) Pakistan and Confindustria Marmomacchine ofItaly for cooperation in stone sector.
– Signing of an MoU between Ministry of Defence of the Arab Republic ofEgypt and Ministry of Defence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in thefield of defence.
– Ratification of ‘Agreement on Military, Technical, Science and EducationCooperation between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan andthe Government of Bosnia & Herzegovina’.
– Execution of gas development schemes during the present government.
– Ratification of recommendations of the cabinet.
– Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) in respect of GasInfrastructure Development Cess (Amendment) Bill, 2017. – APP