PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Thursday urged the federal government to constitute a committee, headed by the interior minister, to examine the demands of the recent Pashtun jirga organised by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber tribal district.

The committee, comprising representatives of all treasury and opposition parties as well as the chief minister, should “work to meet the PTM jirga’s demands,” according to an official statement issued after the cabinet’s meeting here.

It added that the provincial government’s efforts led to the peaceful conclusion of the jirga and a consensus would be built in the provincial assembly for the resolution of the issues related to the provincial government.

The cabinet met here with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the chair and ministers, advisers and special assistants to the CM, chief secretary, additional chief secretary, senior member board of revenue, and administrative secretaries in attendance.

Okays changes to rules to allocate job quota for transgender persons

Also in the meeting, the participants authorised the relief, rehabilitation and settlement department to take up a case of establishing a desk at the Bacha Khan International Airport Peshawar for the transportation of the bodies of Pakistanis, who died abroad.

They approved Rs36 million grant to purchase three ambulances and the provision of a monthly budget of Rs0.7 million to Rescue 1122 for the purpose.

The cabinet also decided that transportation facility would be provided on demand from the Islamabad International Airport.

It approved draft amendments to the KP Civil Servants (Appointments, Promotion and Transfer) Rules, 1989, for the allocation of quota in government jobs in BPS-15 and below at the rate of 0.5 per cent for transgender persons.

The cabinet declared that appointments against that quota would be made considering suitability of the candidates for posts in view of the “socio-cultural environment of the province.”

“The candidates should produce a medical fitness certificate and appointments shall be subject to the registration of candidates with the social welfare department. As per the details of the social welfare department there were only 457 registered transgender persons in KP,” read the official statement.

The cabinet also approved the transfer of 40 kanals of land from Board of Revenue to Pakistan Customs for building the Custom House and warehouses in Dera Ismail Khan, exempting the process from the KP Public Procurement Regulatory Authority’s rules. Pakistan Customs will pay Rs128.8 million market prices for the land as per the Federal Board of Revenue valuation table.

Besides, the cabinet also allowed the federal government to legislate on explosive substances for the implementation of the National Explosive Policy.

“Though the subject has been transferred to provinces through 18th Constitutional Amendment and it can be withdrawn only through such an amendment but in view of its equal implication in every nook and corner of the country, it is required that single legislation should be enacted for the whole province. Sindh has already granted such powers to the federal government while Punjab is on its way to do so,” read the statement.

The cabinet also approved guidelines for nomination of the chairman for Production Bonus Utilisation Committee and revised Production Bonus Guidelines, 2024.

Under the Petroleum Exploration and Production Policy, 2012, the Production Bonus is payable once commercial production of oil and gas from a producing field begins. The policy authorises the provincial government to issue guidelines, according to the statement.

The cabinet approved an amendment to Schedule I of KP Rules of Business, 1985, allowing a directorate of digital media in the directorate general of information. It also accepted a proposal for enhancing costs to improve, widen and rehabilitate 12km road in Bar Qambarkhel area of Khyber tribal district from Rs380 million to Rs561.82 million and 7km Bara Bypass in Khyber district from Rs517.73 million to Rs929.81 million.

It also approved the construction of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) bridges in Sheikh Uttar and Gara Budha areas of Tank district and ex-post facto consent to the declaration of emergency in Upper Chitral district under the National Disaster Management (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Act, 2019.

Emergency in the district was declared from Aug 2, 2024, to Aug 30, 2024, to carry out relief and rehabilitation activities smoothly during monsoon flooding.

On the recommendation of the search and nomination council, the cabinet approved the inclusion of Dr Nausherwan Burki in the Medical Teaching Institution Policy Board.

It approved the Parks and Horticulture Authority Bill, 2024, and the return of all un-outsourced inspection huts and rest houses to the irrigation and forest departments by the tourism department.

The cabinet also decided that on the expiry of the leases of all such huts, the same would be handed back to their respective owner departments. It approved the establishment of three community game reserves in Orakzai tribal district.

It approved the nomination of four members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board, the acquisition of land and construction of judicial infrastructure in Upper Chitral, the transfer of state land for construction of Judicial Complex Timergara, the shifting of Dera Ismail Khan agriculture universities from Gomal University to Dairy Colony, the revision of the ADP scheme, titled Digital Governance Imitative for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, grant-in-aid for seminaries in the province, the construction of Model School Mansehra, including land cost Rs98.246 million, the establishment of Jawan Markaz in Shangla district, and financial assistance for upgradation of Maskan Orphanage Institute and Omung Special Children School, Swat.

The cabinet also approved funds for the forensic medicine department of the Khyber Medical College and hiring the services of Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance for disbursing soft loans through the Ehsaas Noujawan, Rozgar, and Hunar Programme. It approved the establishment of an endowment fund for fee waivers in government colleges of the province.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024