ISLAMABAD: According to sources, the federal cabinet has deferred the proposed gas price hike and instructed the relevant authorities to further review the decision.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar chaired the federal cabinet session and made several key decisions. The cabinet approved the exclusion of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) from the privatization list.
The cabinet also approved the Hajj and Umrah Regulation Bill 2023, with a briefing provided by the Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Aneeq Ahmed. The Hajj quota for Pakistanis was set at 179,210, as approved by Saudi Arabia, with 50% allocated for private and government Hajj each. The ministry will start accepting Hajj applications in mid-November.
Another decision involved the establishment of an anti-human smuggling station by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The cabinet was briefed on the repatriation of illegally residing immigrants from across the country. Orders for repatriation were issued to all provinces under the Foreign Act 1947. Concerned institutions, including police forces, were directed to arrest illegal immigrants, and those facing trials in minor crimes and convicted will be deported. However, foreigners involved in serious crimes will not be deported.
The caretaker government granted special powers to the district administration, police forces, prosecution, and jail administrations. Special detention centers were established in all four provinces to hold arrested immigrants.
Regarding the Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) decision on gas prices, the ECC had approved various summaries on October 23, including a revision of natural gas pricing for the FY 2023-24. The federal cabinet is expected to approve a significant gas tariff increase, with local gas tariffs potentially rising by 173% for non-protected domestic consumers, 136.4% for commercial consumers, 86.4% for export, and 117% for the non-export industry. Fixed monthly charges for protected consumers may increase from Rs10 to Rs400, and the tariff for the import industry could rise to Rs2050 from Rs950. The proposed gas price increase for CNG is Rs2595 per MMBTU.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reportedly asked Pakistan to immediately raise the gas tariff.
