Panel to prepare proposals for judges’ restoration

The Federal Cabinet has decided to form a committee, headed by the Law Minister, for preparing recommendations for restoration of the judges of superior courts who stood sacked due to President Pervez Musharraf’s emergency.”The Cabinet in its first meeting decided to form a committee for reinstatement of judges,” said Information Minister Sherry Rehman at media briefing on Monday. The political allies of the PPP would give their nominations to the committee. The committee would prepare its recommendations for the restoration of judges, already announced by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. According to her, the Cabinet also informed the Law Minister about the abolition of Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) in Fata. When asked whether the coalition partners would impeach the President, the Minister avoided direct reply and said that it was not announced in the PM’s 100-day programme. The Cabinet discussed things related to this programme, she added.Being Information Minister, she informed the Cabinet that her Ministry was preparing draft proposals for submission to the Law Division to revoke the amendments in Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Ordinance made on November 3, 2007. She said that the Cabinet was told that spade work to make amendments in the ‘access to information’ law had also been initiated by the Ministry.While referring to a pending bill about the freedom of information, she said that the said bill would also be legislated to provide access of information to the media men. She said that the Cabinet also approved necessary amendments in the labour laws to ensure implementation of PM’s decision of fixing minimum wage at Rs 6000 per month. The Cabinet, she said, expressed its resolve that any shortage of wheat, created by vested interests, would be dealt with iron hand.She said that the Cabinet had decided to meet every fortnight, on Wednesday, to take up the summaries of various ministries for implementation of the 100-day programme on fast track.Sherry, quoting the Prime Minister, said that the PM had said that although the Cabinet has the responsibility to prepare policies and work out the course for implementation, yet the parliament would be taken into confidence on all important issues.She said that the Cabinet specially discussed the power shortage issue and the PM gave special directions to the concerned ministers. She said that all Ministers had been asked to present challenges being faced by their ministries in the next meeting of the Cabinet.