Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday issued directives to the ministries and divisions to complete the process of recruitment on 129,301 vacant posts within four months.

Briefing newsmen here regarding decisions of the federal cabinet meeting, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said no public sector employee will be removed as the government is committed to provide employment to the jobless not to make them jobless. “2020 will be the year of jobs creation,” she said.

The prime minister directed the ministries and divisions to dispose of all the pending cases of civil servants as per rules and regulations, penalty measures, seniority, promotions and other matters within the period of three months. He gave the directions after a briefing in which it was told that 106,343 cases of employees are pending in the ministries and divisions for the last three decades.

Dr Firdous said the meeting was also informed that 37 million items, including 6,000 official vehicles, of various government departments have been worn out, but no practical steps have been taken to dispose them of. The prime minister tasked the PM’s Delivery Unit to pursue all the relevant ministries to resolve all the pending cases within 45 days, she added.

She said the federal cabinet gave approval to the proposal for structural and organizational reforms of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. It noted that restructuring of the ministry was imperative to fulfill the government’s vision of correcting the imbalance in technical and administrative positions from existing 80 percent staff having no health background to 70 percent technical staff and 30 percent administrative ones.

In line with the best international practices, she said, the cabinet approved in principle to change the name of ministry to the Ministry of Health and Population. As part of the reforms, a completely new organogram has been evolved, with key positions filled by technical experts alongside civil servants in high administrative positions that would foster an enabling role for the ministry to function effectively and transparently, she added.

A new cadre for health among the Civil Services of Pakistan was approved by the cabinet, under which civil servants will be trained for the newly reformed health ministry, further enhancing its performance, the SAPM said.

Dr Firdous said the cabinet also gave approval for launch of inquiry against five homeopathic colleges working in the country. Steps were being taken to adopt best international practices in the homeopathic sector and the ministry would take concrete measures in that regard, she added.

She said the Civil Aviation Authority briefed the cabinet that in future, there will be no need to get a non-objection certificate for building high-rise buildings near airports, which will help attract investment from overseas Pakistanis.