ISLAMABD – Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said atask force will be set up to resolve the problems of slums in order tobring them into mainstream.
Briefing media about cabinet decisions in Islamabad this evening, theMinister said the government wants to improve the living standard of peopleand resolve their issues.
The Minister said the cabinet took another important decision to ban use ofall discretionary funds of President, Prime Minister and MNAs as it is aninsult to tax payers.
He said from now onwards, the development projects will be discussed inparliament and their approval will be given after a detailed review.
Fawad Chaudhry the discretionary powers of all the ministers to grant fundshave also been revoked.
The Information Minister said funds worth 21 billion rupees were spent byprevious government last year. In addition, thirty billion rupees wereallocated to MNAs for development projects, making it a huge amount of 51billion rupees.
He said previous governments used national exchequer like their ownproperty.
Fawad Chaudhry said as party of austerity drive of Prime Minister, it hasbeen decided that special plane of Prime Minister will not be used forforeign visits. Rather, he will travel in ordinary passenger planes and usethe club class instead of business or first class.
This discretion has also been abolished for President, Chief Justice, andother senior officials.
The Minister said cabinet also took decision to hold forensic audit of allmass transport projects including Multan Metro bus project, Lahore OrangeTrain Project and Peshawar Metro Bus. He said, if needed, FIA willinvestigate the issues.
The cabinet also decided to start urban tree plantation projects inKarachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Lahore from next month. The purpose is tomake these areas green and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change.
He said the cabinet decided that working hours will be changed from 9 am to5 pm and the weekly holiday of Saturday will not be abolished. It will alsobe ensured that public servants dedicate full time to their jobs during theworking hours.
Commenting on an incident in Faisalabad, Fawad Chaudhry said it was a lawand order situation matter between two groups and had no religiousdimension.
Replying to a question, the Minister said it is being considered to abolishthe Ministry of CADD and merge its employees into other departments.
On a question regarding information ministry, he said there will be visiblechanges in his ministry soon.
He said PTV and Radio Pakistan have been given directions to give equalcoverage to all political parties and their leaders and there is noeditorial censorship on both.
He said duration of English transmissions on PTV and Radio Pakistan will beenhanced in order to give the world a picture of what is happening in thecountry.
He said PTV World will highlight the regional issues of the country.
Fawad Chaudhry told a questioner that task forces set up by the governmentare for short term goals and long term goals and they will work accordingly.
On another question, a mechanism is being evolved to hold a completeinquiry on Result Transmission System of Election Commission of Pakistan,so that such delays do not occur in future.