No decision on foreigners’ residency
Sindh cabinet on Tuesday remained undecided on the federal government's proposal to give long term or permanent residency to foreign investors in the province and asked the officials to finalise the draft policy that will be approved in next meeting, sources said.
Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that the issue was on the agenda where secretary investment and special assistant to chief minister on investment and public private partnership Syed Qassim Naveed Qamar briefed the meeting on the issue.
"Federal government has devised a plan to offer long term residency visa or permanent residency to foreigners who want to invest in the country. After the 18 Amendment the investment is provincial subject, so we have to finalise the draft and make decision on it," Qamar said briefing the meeting.
Sources said that the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed investment department to finalise the draft with the consultation of experts before presenting it in the next cabinet meeting.
"This (long term/permanent residency) is not the issue of giving permanent residence to Afghan people who have fled the country after war. There is a proposal from the federal government to give visa or permanent residency to people of 61 countries on the basis of long term investment. But we have yet to decide on it," said Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani while addressing a joint press conference with Syed Qassim Naveed Qamar.
"This is purely federal government plan and is under consideration for those people who tend to bring investment on the pattern of global standard," he said.
Earlier, there were reports that federal government had decided to give permanent residence to richest Afghans who had left the country after war and want long term investment in Pakistan.
The provincial cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah discussed around 30 agendas and decided to extend the anti-terrorism powers of Rangers, paramilitary force for another 90 days. These powers had expired on September 30 last year.
The meeting also decided to release Rs58 billion debt support fund for on-going Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode development projects and provided Rs4 billion grant to National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD). A part from this, it was decided to establish Sindh Physiotherapy Council, reconstituted zakat council and cabinet allocated 0.5 per cent job quota for transgenders.
The issue of wheat stocks that were were confiscated by the NAB officials following an alleged scam were allowed to be released.
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The food department informed the cabinet meeting that they had talked to the NAB authorities and told them that if they did not release the wheat, stocks worth Rs1 billion would be infested with weevil. The NAB authorities told the food department that they have no objection on which the cabinet directed the food department to lift the stocks and start them releasing as per policy.
NICVD funds
The issue of financial constraints of National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD) was also discussed at length. The health department told the cabinet that National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD)/ has been given short payment during the last three years, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, had released less than the allocated amount. Therefore, the NICVD has liabilities of Rs7.4 billion. The cabinet approved release of Rs4 billion immediately and the remaining amount would be provided to the NICVD later on.
During the meeting, health department officials informed the cabinet that they were facing an acute shortage of BS-20 officers for their posting as District Health Officers in various districts for effective performance as head of district health administration.
The cabinet was told that most of the posts of administrative nature are in grade BS-18 or in BS-19 at district level, such as deputy commissioner. The cabinet, after discussion approved conversion of DHO post of BS-20 to floating post of Grade BS-20/19.
Festivals
The chief minister told the cabinet that the Thar Jeep Rally had developed a soft image of Tharparkar. The participants of the rally were amazed to see the development in Thar and congratulated him for taking such unbelievable initiatives.
Shah directed the Sports department to plan a detailed programme for organizing sports events in every district but during the on-going winter season two events could be held in Thar. "Next year, we will try to organise the Desert Jeep Challenge on International level, therefore planning for the upcoming event must be started from the current financial year," he said.
Appointments
The provincial cabinet meeting on the proposal of Zakat & Usher department constituted and approved the appointment of Niaz Hussain Jessar, a retired Karachi Port Trust, as new chairman Sindh Zakat Council. The members of council who appointment has been approved by the cabinet include Mufti Ferozeuddin Hazarvi, Mufti Mohammad Nazir Jan Sarhandi and Mohammad Ashraf Gormani (Ulema), Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Ashraf Ali Isran (prominent persons) and Mst Shama Arif Mithani and Advocate Shakira Siddiqui (women). These appointments have been made for a period of three years on honorary period.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2022.