Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to ban export of all edible items which are consumed by common man in the wake of current situation.

The direction was made during meeting of the Federal Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The decision will be reviewed after two weeks.

While approving 75 billion rupees relief package in the first phase for laborers, the Prime Minister directed Special Assistant for Social Welfare and Minister for Industries to devise a comprehensive mechanism for providing relief to the workers.

Imran Khan said the government has planned to offer government owned land located in major cities to the overseas Pakistanis in order to generate much need financial resources.

He also directed all ministries to expedite setting up of think-tank comprising of area experts and professionals in the ministries in order to bring about qualitative improvement in the overall performance and output.

The Cabinet ratified the recommendations of the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases made in its meeting.

The Cabinet approved appointment of Shaista Bano Gillani as Acting Chairperson Competition Commission of Pakistan.

The Cabinet approved, in principle, "Netting of Financial Contracts Bill, 2020" to remove any uncertainty in enforcing the netting rights in case of a termination event, bankruptcy, insolvency proceedings, limits the power of the liquidators to prevent any cherry picking of qualified financial contracts/transactions, which fall under the ambit of netting provisions and allows financial collateral arrangements under such netting rights.  

The Cabinet accorded approval to a proposal to notify that all companies supplying electricity or gas through distribution or transmission line be members of a Credit Bureau and to furnish information in accordance with the Credit Bureau Act, 2015

The Cabinet while approving allocation for grant-in-aid from the Federal Government for the journalists and journalistic bodies especially press clubs, tasked Minister for Information and SAPM for Information to finalize procedure/SOPs for disbursement of the grant to the deserving journalists and journalistic bodies. 

The Cabinet approved restructuring of Board of Directors of Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO). 

It approved nomination of director against the casual vacancies of the Board of Directors of SNGPL, Pakistan Petroleum Limited, Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation and OGRA.

The Cabinet approved Assistance Package for COVID-19 related healthcare workers. Any healthcare worker, who dies while performing duties related to COVID-19 shall be entitled to the same package as is applicable to the government servants in cases of security related deaths contained in Shuhada Package. The package will be applicable in the domain of ICT AJK and Gilgit Baltistan.

The Cabinet approved the request of Inquiry Commission, probing into increase in sugar prices, to extend time for submission of the report by three weeks.

The Cabinet gave approval to modalities for export of chloroquine by importers in possession of raw material. 

Kiani/Karrar