ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Tuesday showed optimism to streamline the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas before bowing out.
A participant of the meeting told The Nation that PM Abbasi was confident that the issue of Fata reforms will be settled with consultations.
The PM chaired a meeting of the federal cabinet at his office here and “briefed the ministers about his meeting with the parliamentary leaders and representatives of various political parties the other day about implementation of FATA reforms,” an official statement said.
A meeting of the PM and the parliamentary leaders last day could not break the impasse on Fata reforms as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party refused to show flexibility on merger of tribal areas into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The JUI-F and PkMAP, both allies of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz oppose mainstreaming the Fata before the upcoming general elections and granting seats to these areas in the provincial legislature. The JUI-F and PkMAP leaders have demanded a referendum in Fata to resolve the issue.
Other treasury and opposition parties support the merger of Fata into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to streamline the tribal belt.
The participant of the meeting said Abbasi was optimistic that the Fata issue will be resolved during the term of the incumbent government –ending this month. “There will be other meetings to evolve consensus on the Fata reforms. The PM and the ministers are hopeful this issue will be resolved soon,” he said citing the cabinet meeting.
The PM, he said, also asked the ministers to defend the government’s achievement in the election campaigns against the opposition’s ‘propaganda’ as the polls drew closer.
Abbasi, he said, believed the government had ‘much to sell’ in the elections provided the PML-N candidates capitalise on ‘our achievements.’ The PM and the cabinet members, he said, agreed that the anti-government statements by the political rivals were only a ‘propaganda’ which “must be countered.”
“The PM and the ministers were optimistic to perform better in the upcoming general elections and defeat the political opponents,” he added.
An official statement said at the outset the federal cabinet strongly condemned the attack on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and prayed for his speedy recovery.
The cabinet ratified the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet in its meeting held on April 27. The cabinet approved renewal of agreement for coordination in the field of education between the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination and Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic signed on March 8, 2005.
The Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in agricultural research and development for the Belt and Road among Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and Centre for Agricultural and Bioscience International Pakistan was approved.
Signing of agreement on transfer of offenders between Pakistan and the Jordan was approved.
Agreement for provision of credit line facility amounting to $14 million to Somalia related to provision of services by the National Database and Registration Authority was also approved.
The meeting approved nominations of Vice-President, Treasurer and the Members of Governing Body of Iqbal Academy Pakistan, Lahore. The cabinet approved re-appointment of Ahmed Owais Pirzada as Member Technical (BS-22) Competitions Appellate Tribunal, Islamabad.
The cabinet granted ex-post facto approval of the notification for revised proforma for inspection of new medical colleges as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
The cabinet also approved appointment of Board of Directors of National Security Printing Company.