Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The federal cabinet on Tuesday decided against appointing Mushtaq Mahar as the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) after cabinet members from the province expressed strong reservations over the matter.
According to Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed Sindh Governor Imran Ismail to once again discuss names for the new IGP with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
Briefing the media about the federal cabinet’s meeting, Awan said, “After consultation between the prime minister and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Mushtaq Mahar’s name had been suggested [in the cabinet] for the Sindh IGP position but cabinet members from the province strongly opposed the idea.
“Keeping in mind the majority view, the prime minister has asked the Sindh governor to discuss the matter with the province’s chief minister.
“The two will hold discussions on the other names suggested for the IGP position as well as new names so that a consensus can be reached on the matter,” Awan said.
Prime Minister ImranKhan on Tuesday vowed that the mafia, including profiteers and hoarders,
responsible for inflation and price hike in the coun-try would be dealt with an iron hand.
At the outsetof Federal Cabinet’s meeting, the prime minister said every possible step would be taken to provide relief to the people, who were fac-ing the brunt of inflation, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan told a press conference here.
Flanked by Federal Minister for Commu-nications and Postal Services Murad Saeed, she said the committee constituted by the prime minister was probing the recent flour shortage and in the light of its findings, strict action would be taken against the elements involved in the crisis irrespective of their political affiliations. The prime minster felt pain for the hard-ships faced by the people during the flour crisis and he would not spare any body behind it, she added.
The SAPM said Imran Khan also directed the Ministry of National Food Security and related organizations to take all measures to ensure smooth supply of edible items to the public.
The cabinet, she said, was briefed on the demand-supply gap of edibles items, including rice, wheat and corn and the situation of their stocks. The prime minister directed that all estimates of surplus crops should be monitored.
Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed Tuesday said the Federal Cabinet decided to recover billions of rupees illegally spent by a former president, prime ministers and chief ministers from the national exchequer. If the misused public money was not surrendered by the accused then the law would take its course of action against them, he said while addressing a press briefing on the cabinet meeting flanked by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan.
The minister said former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani had set up five camp houses in Multan and Lahore despite having his own residences in the cities and all the expenses incurred there were footed from the national exchequer. Similarly, former president Asif Ali Zardari had three camp offices whereas the Sharif brothers (former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and ex-Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif) maintained five camp offices excluding the prime minister and chief minister houses, the minister said. Murad mentioned that Shehbaz Sharif even declared Nawaz’s Jati Umra residence in Raiwind as his camp office after the latter’s disqualification by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.
Earlier in the day, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani had, with much surety, said that Sindh IGP Kaleem Imam would be replaced today. The comment had come after Sindh IGP Imam, while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Sindh Police Martyrs Memorial at Central Police Office (CPO) in Karachi, had said that he would not be transferred from his position so easily, adding that a “big conspiracy” was being staged against him.
