Holding multiple foreign passports banned

Federal cabinet takes steps to keep rates of edibles low

ISLAMABAD:

The federal cabinet on Tuesday discussed measures to keep prices of food items stable and ensure their steady supply.
It decided to continue the rates of flour and sugar fixed under the Ramazan package besides allowing 3 million metric tons of wheat import.

The cabinet, which met here with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair, also decided to revoke multiple foreign passports under the Passport Act. During the meeting, the ministers were informed that electricity load-shedding had been brought to nil.

Briefing reporters about the decisions taken by the cabinet, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the prime minister directed for introducing an incentivised agricultural policy that would enable the country to curtail wheat import.

The cabinet also decided to continue the fixed rates of flour and sugar under the Ramazan package. Under the package, the price of a 20 kilogramme bag of flour was reduced from Rs950 to Rs800. Similarly, the rate of sugar was cut from Rs85 per kg to Rs70 per kg, she said.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has banned the export of sugar. The ban is aimed at ensuring the smooth supply of the sweetener in the country at affordable price,” she said, adding that sufficient stock of sugar was available in the country to meet the demand till the completion of this season.

The minister told reporters that the cabinet approved the revocation of multiple foreign passports under Passport Act, 1974. The ministers stressed that such passports should not only be revoked but also a strategy should be formulated to prevent their use in future, she added.

“Last date for the cancellation of dual foreign passport is December 31 of this year. Till the date all procedural and administrative arrangements will be finalised to take legal action against dual foreign passport holders,” Aurangzeb said.

Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir informed the cabinet that no load shedding was taking place in any part of the country. He added that requests had been sent to the cabinet for the provision of additional resources to end load-shedding.

Aurangzeb said that the cabinet approved the appointment of Fawad Asadullah Khan as the director general of the Intelligence Bureau (IB); Muhammad Masood as member of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF) and Admiral (retd) Salman Elias as the Director of the Shipyard Engineering Works.

The cabinet also accepted the resignation of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lt-Gen Muzammil Hussain. It gave the additional charge of the Wapda chairman to the Wapda member finance till the new chairman was appointed.

Aurangzeb said that the cabinet disposed of a 9-point agenda. During the meeting, the prime minister briefed the ministers about his recent visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The cabinet ratified the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee in its meeting on Monday.

(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)