Islamabad, 3 September 2024 (TDI):The federal cabinet met today at Prime Minister’s House Islamabad, chaired by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting approved the trade framework agreement between Pakistan and MERCOSUR, a trading bloc of South American countries including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed optimism about the potential of the South American market for Pakistani products, but noted that the Pakistani economy has not yet benefited from it. He directed that all economic agreements and memoranda of understanding that have not been implemented for years should be pursued vigorously.
The cabinet also approved the signing of a bilateral political consultation agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. Additionally, the cabinet ratified the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Secretariat, Staff, and Member States’ Representatives of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
The cabinet also extended the tenure of Syed Javed Akhtar, Senior Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, as Chairman of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) until the appointment of a regular officer.
A committee was formed to draft policies on religious tolerance and interfaith harmony, which will consult with all stakeholders and submit its report within a month. The cabinet also ratified the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases (CCLC) in its meeting held on August 26, 2024.
