The meeting of provincial cabinet was held with Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Dr. Hasan Askari in the chair at his office, here today which lasted for three hours. Many important decisions were taken unanimously in the meeting including principle approval of closure of non-active and non-functional public sector companies. It was decided that non-functional and non-active public sector companies will be closed down through a legal mechanism. Final opinion will be solicited from law and finance departments to determine the future of public sector companies which have been given funds and in the light of this opinion, a final decision will be taken. The meeting approved to amend the first schedule of code of civil procedure 1908. The meeting also approved to constitute the administrative committee for Punjab Institute of Cardiology Lahore along with constitution of board of management of Shaikh Zayed Medical College and Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. Approval was given to formulate board of management for Children Hospital and Institute of Child Health Lahore. It was decided to give the facility of additional working capital amounting to Rs.3.175 billion to Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power limited and the meeting also accorded approval to the decision of setting up of Punjab Tianjin University of Technology at Township. It was decided that Punjab government employees will voluntarily give their salary for the fund established for construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Mohmand Dam. Officials of grade one to sixteen will give one day salary while grade seventeen to 22 officers will donate their two-day salary.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Askari said that construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam is vital for the country. The citizens should deposit according to their capacity in this noble cause for meeting the water needs of the country. Punjab government employees will voluntarily donate their one day or two day salary in this fund, he added. The meeting strongly condemned the incidents of terrorism in Balochistan and KPK and offered Fateha for the departed souls of Siraj Raisani, Haroon Billaur, Ikram Ullah Gandapur and other martyrs. The Chief Minister said that Punjab government is standing with its Baloch and Pakhtoon brethren in this time of agony. Punjab government has given Rs. one crore for the financial aid of affectees of Mastung tragedy. He said that Siraj Raisani, Haroon Billaur and Ikram Ullah Gandapur were patriotic Pakistanis and the nation will never forget their great sacrifices. On the occasion, Punjab cabinet meeting also reiterated the commitment of holding free, fair and impartial elections on July 25 and decided to further strict the security arrangements across the province keeping in view the recent incidents of terrorism. Dr. Askari said that peaceful atmosphere will be provided to the voters on polling day to help independently use their right of franchise. Best arrangements have been ensured at every level for transparent elections process, he added. All the line departments will proactively perform their duties on polling day and we shall do our duty in an amicable manner, concluded the Chief Minister. Provincial ministers, chief secretary, ACS, chairman P&D, concerned secretaries and high officials attended the meeting.