Federal cabinet approves abolishing Pakistan Public Works dept

Islamabad: The Federal Cabinet on Wednesday approved abolishing of Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD).

The approval was accorded at a meeting of federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Under the approved plan, Asset and Facility Management Company would be established to continue maintenance and repair works assigned previously to the Pak PWD. Its staff would be transferred to respective ministries after grading and Golden Handshake Scheme will also be implemented. All property records of the Pak-PWD will be computerized.

Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company will be established to supervise federal development projects while all provincial development projects under supervision of the Federal Government will be handed over to the relevant provincial institutions.

The Cabinet directed that the entire transition process should be completed within two weeks.

The cabinet was briefed about progress made by the committee chaired by finance minister to reduce the size of government.

It was told that basic information is being obtained for right-sizing of essential institutions and closure of unnecessary subsidiary institutions of different ministries including Information Technology, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, States and Frontier Regions, Industries and Production and National Health Services.

The meeting was told that this process will be completed till Friday and based on the information, the committee will formulate proposals in consultation with the ministries concerned and submit them to the cabinet by the first week of next month.

Similarly, from Friday next, recommendations will be made to close or merge other institutions after getting information from other federal ministries.

The cabinet also approved a one-year extension of Proof Of Registration (POR) cards for 1.45 million Afghan refugees legally residing in the country and whose POR cards expired last month. The extension in the POR cards has been granted till 30th June next year.

Besides, it allowed the Election Commission of Pakistan to establish its provincial headquarters at the Federal Lodge-II Peshawar.

The cabinet approved the termination of the status of Bahawalpur Medical College from 19th April 2024 due to non-compliance with the requirements of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. Students studying in this institution will be transferred to other medical colleges in the country.

Shehbaz Sharif ordered the Prime Minister Inspection Commission to conduct an inquiry that how the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council permitted the Bahawalpur Medical College to continue its educational activities despite not fulfilling the requirements.

The cabinet nodded to the appointment of Javed Qureshi as director from the government of Pakistan in the Boards of Directors of K-Electric.

The Prime Minister instructed to operationalize all the dysfunctional or incomplete boards of all the state institutions by appointing individuals of good professional repute within two weeks.