Saudi Arabia renews $100m monthly oil support for Pakistan

Saudi Arabia has renewed its $100 million monthly deferred oil payment facility for Pakistan for another year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking at a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, the PM shared details of a letter from Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, confirming the extension of the Saudi Development Fund’s support.

"We are deeply grateful to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi leadership. Saudi Arabia has always stood by Pakistan in difficult times," he stated.

The cabinet was briefed on the digitisation of government operations, with officials reporting that 98% of federal divisions had adopted the e-office system, with 100% implementation in 39 divisions.

Additionally, 21 divisions have fully adopted inter-ministerial digital communication, while 176 government institutions have also implemented the system.

PM Shehbaz directed the complete digitisation of all federal ministries by March 20 and called for improvements in digital services for overseas Pakistanis.

Moreover, the cabinet approved Pakistan’s participation in a United Nations convention on protecting marine resources in international waters, which is expected to benefit local fishermen.

Additionally, it approved the appointment of Kamran Jahangir as managing director of the National Book Foundation, six nominees for the National Commission for Human Rights, whose names will be sent to the prime minister and opposition leader for final approval, and revised request for the registration of Watim Medical College Rawalpindi, as per Islamabad High Court directions.

The cabinet also endorsed the Economic Coordination Committee’s decisions from its February 14 meeting, as well as those from the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases on February 17.

The cabinet approved an addendum to Pakistan’s agreement with Somalia on its National Identity System. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has been assisting Somalia with its national identification system.

The addendum includes provisions for verification services, a mobile enrolment application, an official payment gateway, and infrastructure development.

The cabinet further approved a commission of inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Pakistan Engineering Council’s governing body elections following a request from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Additionally, it approved amendments to the Inland Revenue Appellate Tribunal rules and reaffirmed previous economic and legislative decisions made earlier this month.