ISLAMABAD - Federal Cabinet has decided to grant approval to a special CPEC business visa to facilitate the Chinese investors, aiming to boost investment in the country, said Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Briefing the media persons alongwith Minister for Planning Asad Umar about the decisions taken in the Cabinet meeting held here on Tuesday with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, he said the Cabinet decided that Chinese citizens will be facilitated with work entry visa for a period of two years, from Pakistan’s missions abroad within 48 hours and their subsequent security clearance will be made within 30 days.

He said separate desks will be established to look into applications relating to CPEC in Interior Ministry and Pakistani missions.

Information Minister said the Cabinet appreciated the economic team for steering the country towards stability despite the challenge posed by Covid-19 and flawed policies of previous regimes.

He said that Electronic Voting Machines are important part of PTI electoral reforms in the country. He said overseas voters are important agenda of our electoral reforms. He said the Election Commission should take immediate steps to bring them into our electoral process.

He said Electronic Voting Machine is being appreciated by different segments of the society, including bar associations.

He said the journalists associations including Parliamentary Journalists Association, different Press clubs and bar associations had expressed their willingness to hold their respective elections by using EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines).

He said the Cabinet appreciated improvement in the relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia as it will be beneficial for Muslim Ummah.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan appreciated Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for successfully raising the Palestine issue at international forums. He said Prime Minister said that Pakistan has played a leadership role on the issue of Palestine and Cabinet also lauded role of Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Foreign Office of Pakistan in this regard.

He said the forum approved the formation of a Committee to review the Tehrik e Labbaik Pakistan’s application for lifting of ban on it. After reviewing the application, the Committee will present its recommendations to the Cabinet, he added.

The Minister said the Cabinet met for record 226 times during the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Sharing a brief comparison since 2008 to date, Fawad said only 23 Cabinet meetings were held during the five-year tenure of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which claimed of honouring the sanctity of vote (Vote Ko Izzat Do), and it met 67 times during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government.

He said that not a single meeting of Cabinet Committee was held during the tenure of both PML-N and PPP.

On the issue of institutional reforms, State owned enterprises, national economic reforms, CPEC and privatisation, six meetings were held in the government of PPP while 21 meetings were held in the tenure of PML-N.

He added that overall 720 meetings of Cabinet Committee were held, out of which, 382 held in PTI government, 193 in PML-N government and 145 in the government of PPP.

He said this comparison hinted at the fact that incumbent PTI government is working on legislation effectively.

He said the today Cabinet meeting was paperless meeting.

He said the Cabinet has decided to give medical assistance to Bosnia to contain coronavirus pandemic.

The Minister said Cabinet accorded approval to Cantonment Board elections and directed Ministry of Defence to make all arrangements in this regard.

The Cabinet also gave approval to a new Board of Directors of PTV.

The Secretary Information will be the Chairperson of PTV’s new board while Director General Radio Pakistan has also been included as its members.

He said Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan briefed the Cabinet meeting on electoral reforms.

He said the Cabinet also approved appointment of Rehan Hamid as CEO Hyderabad Electric Supply Company.

He said the Cabinet also endorsed decisions taken in the meeting of Cabinet Committee for institutional reforms, which was held on 29th April 2021.

The Cabinet also approved appointment of Aizaz Ahmed as Managing Director of NTDC.

The Information Minister said that summary for the appointment of CEO Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation has been deferred.

The Cabinet also approved appointment of Munir Azam as Chairman Pakistan Tobbaco Company.

Responding to a question, Information Minister said that PDM has been shattered and any alliance can’t shelter PDM now.

Giving details of positive economic indicators Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that the country’s economy is improving, adding, that the Prime Minister’s measures during coronavirus pandemic proved positive to put the economy of the country towards improvement.

He said that the world is recognizing that during coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan took better measures and positive effects of economic stability are visible to all.

Asad Umar said that production of major crops including rice and maize also increased and wheat production targets have been achieved.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan also took initiatives for stability and betterment of the downtrodden sections of the society.

He said National Accounts Committee had released something about growth ratio that no one had thought of before.

Despite the coronavirus challenge, positive economic indicators are a big achievement while the SBP has taken timely steps to stabilise the country’s economy, he added.

Planning Minister said that the government is pursuing the strategy to avoid coronavirus on one side and to prevent the poverty from growing in the country.

He said that half of the population of Pakistan is associated with agriculture in any form, while cotton crop has not been good, wheat crop has been best in production in the ongoing year.

He said that three out of four crops in Pakistan yielded historic production with production of wheat, rice and maize increased, the second largest production in the history of sugarcane in the country, large scale manufacturing is increasing by more than 10 per cent per month, compared to April, 20 per cent increase has been reported.

He said that if we compare this year with our region and the West, the work done on part of Pakistan is remarkable.

He said an exemplary programme has been run in the history of Pakistan which provided financial assistance to the people and Rs 200 billion were disbursed among the  the people under the Ehsas programme.

He said that SBP had made some crucial decisions and played key role in a timely manner. Pakistan got out of trouble sooner than the rest of the world, said Asad Omar.

He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan personally led the construction undertakings in different sectors to mobile construction sector in the country.

The Federal Minister said that more than 60 per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture, sales of tractors have increased by 54 per cent and wholesale trade is a huge sector in Pakistan, economy is growing fast, even in wake of coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s team put the economy on its feet with subsequent stability.

Planning Minister appreciated former Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh  and said he played a positive role for the betterment of the economy, but the secret of Imran Khan’s success is that he is never satisfied, good team he says is the one, who think after winning what they could do further better.

He said the Prime Minister decided during coronavirus pandemic that the poor should be saved from consequences of coronavirus pandemic.

He said expatriate Pakistanis has sent record remittances to Pakistan.

The Minister said loans received by private sectors for direct investment have increased by 126 per cent that boosted small enterprises while large scale manufacturing recorded 9 per cent growth.

He expressed hope that with all these indicators the country’s economy will move from stability to development.