ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday that the list containing names of 172 individuals placed on Exit Control List (ECL) in fake accounts case would be sent to a review committee, working under Ministry of Interior. Addressing a press conference after cabinet’s meeting, the information minister said that the Supreme Court has ordered the federal government to review its decision which was taken on the recommendation of a joint investigation team (JIT) probing the case. “The list will be reviewed as per the court orders,” he asserted. Chaudhry said that the committee would make recommendations on the matter. The recommendations would be discussed in the next session. The ECL review committee of the interior ministry would present a report in the cabinet next week stating the reasons ‘why the placement of the 172 names on the ECL should be reviewed’. Explaining the procedure of adding names on the ECL, the minister said the relevant investigation agency first sends its recommendations to the interior ministry. The ministry then forwards the names to the cabinet for implementation. On the recommendations of the JIT, the federal cabinet had in its meeting on December 27 decided to place the names of 172 prominent individuals on the ECL, including Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Murad Ali Shah, Farooq H. Naek and several other leaders and provincial ministers belonging to the PPP. Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a federal cabinet meeting today during which the government decided against striking down every name on the list immediately. “Those included in the list will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and after the probe is completed then some names will be removed from the ECL,” sources privy to the meeting said. State Interior Minister Shahryar Khan Afridi and legal experts briefed the prime minister on the case during the cabinet meeting. Furthermore, the cabinet has approved an agreement between Pakistan and Japan to increase their defense capabilities. Regarding registration of union council chairmen and establishment of an advisory council to alleviate poverty, the meeting has finalized the proposed strategy. Following the meeting, the members of the nursing council have been facilitated with the cabinet’s approval. The cabinet has also approved $5 million grant for the Dubai Expo and reformation of Quaid-i-Azam Mazar Management Board (QMMB). Importantly, the meeting has approved provision of Euro 130 million soft loan by the French Development Agency (AFD) to Pakistan for certain development projects including the Peshawar Sustainable Rapid Transit Corridor Project. (Since 2006, AFD has been working with Pakistan to develop renewable energies and energy efficiency. The AFD has been financing Pakistan’s unexploited hydroelectric potential as well) Regarding allotment of 32-Kanal land to the Intelligence Bureau by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the first installment has been approved by the meeting. A memorandum of understanding has been signed concerning the Agriculture sector of Pakistan. During his press briefing, the information minister said that the cabinet has also decided to expedite privatisation of five units including Haveli Bahadur Shah, Lakhra Coal Mine, Services Hotel Lahore, divestment of government shares in petroleum companies and K-Electric. “The cabinet has also established a committee of Land Bank headed by Defense Minister Pervez Khattak. It will identify 150 prime properties for use in various public sector projects and submit its report to the cabinet in its next meeting. The Minister said 9,442 kanals of unused land has been identified at the federal level, 56,000 kanal in Punjab and 5,258 kanal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so far,” he said. The Minister said cabinet also accorded approval to three additional posts of judges in Islamabad High Court. It will increase the number of judges from six to nine, in addition to the Chief Justice. He said a Poverty Alleviation Coordination Council has been established that will work under Dr. Sania Nishtar. It has been tasked to coordinate the activities of various institutions at federal and provincial level in poverty alleviation, Fawad said. The minister pronounced that additional customs duty for offshore exploration companies in order to create a more favorable environment for foreign investment into the country. He said the PTI government aims to levy tax on income, and not on the companies doing investment. Fawad said that the cabinet has approved a sum of Rs2.8 billion for the construction of FC Headquarters in South and North zones of Balochistan. The Minister said the export duty on jaggery has been brought down to 2.5 percent to enhance local production and export of the commodity. On the problems of Karachi, the Information Minister said that the city is the economic hub of the country and its residents have trusted the PTI by voting in its favour. He said a high powered committee has been constituted for the development of the metropolis. Published in Daily Times, January 3rd 2019