Cabinet meeting under way; FO to brief participants on new US policy
The session of the National Assembly is set to take place at 3pm as well
August 29, 2017
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet.
The meeting was earlier scheduled for 6:30pm but was moved back, according to sources.
This is the first cabinet meeting following US President Donald Trump’s ‘anti-Pakistan’ comments during his South Asia policy speech last week.
Sources said the cabinet will discuss the situation arising after Trump’s remarks. The Foreign Office is also expected to give a briefing to the cabinet.
The cabinet meeting has an eight-point agenda, according to sources.
Sources said the finance secretary briefed the cabinet on tax collection measures.
A session of the National Assembly (NA) will be held at 3pm today as well.
Earlier in the day, the premier chaired the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet which approved a number of proposals.
The premier, in an interview to a foreign news outlet yesterday, made clear that there is only a political solution to the Afghanistan issue. He observed that Trump’s new policy for the region, as it stands, is bound to be unsuccessful.
The NA will hold its 45th session today, with the agenda including introduction and debate on several bills and issues from private members.
Sources said heated arguments are expected in the Lower House of Parliament on Trump’s policy speech. It is expected that all the political parties, after holding separate internal meetings, will unite on one platform against the US president’s new policy.
A meeting of the National Security Committee last week has already rejected Trump’s policy statement. It was decided during the meeting to contact other friendly countries and take all stakeholders into confidence regarding Pakistan’s reservations over the new US policy.
