Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): The federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday banned the telecast of Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches in Pakistan.
Addressing a news conference following a cabinet meeting, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that IPL matches in the country had been banned on a request from his ministry.
Chaudhry also made it clear that the government is not going to change the name of Benazir Income Support Programme. He said financial aid is provided to poor people through BISP, Zakaat, and Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal, whereas under the new social welfare programme new initiatives will be taken. He said health cards, kafalat and affordable housing scheme to be launched by the Prime Minister soon Ehsas facilitate poor people of Pakistan.
The Information Minister said the cabinet also approved a budget of 57.3 billion rupees for Khassadar and other forces working in erstwhile FATA.
He said the cabinet also gave approval to the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Council (ECC). He said the Prime Minister directed to prepare a complete roadmap on wheat, cotton, and rice and prepare a procurement policy to benefit the agriculture sector. He said the cabinet also decided to export of one million tons of wheat. He said the Prime Minister also advised to evolve a comprehensive policy to set prices of vehicles. He said it was the PTI government's efforts due to which for the first time sugarcane growers got prices of their crop in time.
The Minister said boards of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, Oil and Gas Development Authority, Sui Southern Gas Pipelines, and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines have been reconstituted. Shamsuddin Sheikh has been appointed Chairman PMDC and Qamar Javed Sharif the chief of OGDC. Dr. Shamshad Akhtar has been appointed the new head of SSGPL and Syed Dilawar Abbas the chief of SNGPL. The cabinet also approved appointment of judges of various banking courts.
Hassan Irfan Khan has been removed from the IPO Policy Board.
He said the cabinet approved appointment of Arshad Malik as the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan International Airlines.
Fawad Chaudhry said the cabinet approved extension in the licence of Vision Air International for one year, Radio Pakistan reported.
Giving details of the cabinet meetings during the tenure of the PTI government, the Information Minister said cabinet has so far held thirty-three meetings during which 607 decisions regarding forty-five divisions were taken. Of these, 375 decisions have already been fully implemented, while rest is in implementation phase.