Federal Cabinet Endorses Key Initiatives, Defers Decision on Hajj Policy 2025

Federal cabinet approved eight crucial agenda items while once again postponing the much-anticipated Hajj Policy 2025. The policy’s presentation was deferred due to the absence of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Chaudhry Salik, from the meeting.

Among the prominent approvals was the decision to forward the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2024 to the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases, following recommendations from the Ministry of Human Rights. Applicable within the Islamabad Capital Territory, the bill is designed to establish a robust framework to curb domestic violence, provide support to victims, and ensure strict penalties for offenders.

The cabinet also greenlit the appointment of three private members—Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Moazzam Ijaz, Engineer Faheem Iqbal, and Asim Shehryar Hussain—to the Board of Management of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), as recommended by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.

Additionally, the Ministry of Law and Justice’s proposal to designate the Federal Ministry as the official Transmitting and Receiving Agency for claims under the Claims for Maintenance (Recovery Abroad) Ordinance 1959 received cabinet approval. This step aligns with Pakistan’s commitments under the 1956 Convention on the Recovery Abroad of Maintenance, which the country ratified in 1959.

Further approvals included the appointment of Dr. Shafia Arshad as Chairperson of the Examining Body of the National Council for Tibb, along with Dr. Rizwan Asif, Muhammad Khurshid Alam, Ikram Ullah, Moinuddin, and Dr. Atta Ullah as members, on the advice of the Ministry of National Health Services. The reorganization of the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan was also sanctioned.

During the session, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised concerns over the increasing number of polio cases and called for an immediate report on the issue. Stressing the urgency, he directed health officials to devise a comprehensive action plan and scheduled a dedicated meeting to tackle polio eradication.