Cabinet orders gas, electricity for industrial zones

Fawad Chaudhry says Saudi crown prince’s visit is highly significant

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Thursday decided to provide gas and electricity to various industrial zones on an immediate basis in order to facilitate investors, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said.

The cabinet met in Islamabad with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair. Briefing the media about the decisions, Chaudhry confirmed that the next round of talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban representatives would take place in Pakistan.

“There are many irregularities in the gas sector,” he said. “Taking note of the irregularities,” the minister added that the cabinet had asked the authorities concerned “to ensure provision of gas and electricity to the industrial zones” across the country.

He told the media that the upcoming visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was highly significant for Pakistan. “It is a milestone in path to numerous successes of the government on the foreign policy front,” he added.



“Pakistan has met with lots of foreign policy successes, as the country once again becomes a key player in Middle East politics. Pakistan is attracting large investments from all over the world,” the minister said, adding that Saudi Arabia alone would invest $8 billion in an oil refinery in Gwadar.

Chaudhry said the government was making sincere efforts to bring peace in Afghanistan. “The upcoming negotiations between Taliban and the US will bring regional stability which will ultimately promote peace, business and prosperity in the region,” he added.

The Minister said that the cabinet also reviewed the progress of its previous decisions. Previously, cabinet sessions were infrequent but the current government in the first six months held 26 meetings and took 440 decisions. “Of these, 243 decisions have been implemented.”

He said that a law to govern social media is already there, while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regulations are also there to combat cybercrimes. “Those spreading chaos and anarchy will see action,” the information minister said.



The information minister said the cabinet gave its approval for the restructuring State Life Insurance Company (SLIC), draft proposal for merger of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority and National Disaster Management Authority and the Board of Pakistan Institute of Management Sciences.

During the meeting, the minister received a briefing on Supreme Court orders pertaining to Shaikh Zayed and Jinnah hospitals, Chaudhry said, adding that a committee had been set up for water payment surcharge issue to Azad Kashmir. The National Anti-Narcotics Policy was also laid before the cabinet, he said.