Pakistan

Federal cabinet approves key bills while hajj policy delayed again

Approval of the Hajj Policy 2025 was postponed due to the absence of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs

News Desk October 22, 2024

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairing a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. PHOTO: PID

Pakistan’s federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, approved eight key agenda items in a meeting at the Prime Minister's House on Tuesday.

However, the approval of the Hajj Policy 2025 was postponed once again due to the absence of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Chaudhry Salik.

One of the major approvals was for the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2024, which was sent to the Cabinet Committee for Legislative Cases.

The bill, limited to the Islamabad Capital Territory, aims to establish an institutional framework for the prevention of domestic violence.

“The bill will not only help in curbing domestic violence but also provide relief to victims and ensure appropriate punishment for offenders,” the cabinet was informed.

In another decision, the cabinet approved the appointments of three private members, Lt Gen (retd) Moazzam Ijaz, Engineer Faheem Iqbal, and Asim Shehryar Hussain, to the Board of Management of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, based on recommendations from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.

The cabinet also designated the Ministry of Law and Justice as the Transmitting and Receiving Agency under the Claims for Maintenance (Recovery Abroad) Ordinance 1959, following the Ministry's recommendations.

This move is tied to Pakistan’s accession to the 1956 Convention on the Recovery Abroad, to which the country joined in 1959.

Further approvals included appointments to the National Council for Tibb’s examining body, with Dr Shafia Arshad as Chairperson.

Other members include Dr Rizwan Asif and Dr Attaullah, among others. Additionally, the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan was restructured.

Expressing concern over the rising number of polio cases, Prime Minister Sharif demanded a detailed report and directed the formation of an emergency plan to tackle the issue.