Minister for Information Shibli Faraz on Tuesday reiterated the government's resolve to ensure the apprehension of people involved in crimes of a sexual nature, as calls increase for stern action against such offenders.
Faraz — addressing a post-cabinet meeting press conference alongside Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan — said that the premier's aide on accountability, Shahzad Akbar, had presented a draft to the cabinet regarding sexual crimes.
The information minister said that the cabinet had discussed matters related to the country's energy sector as well and it also mulled over the policy on which LNG-based energy plants operate.
"In the past, energy was made expensive due to expensive contracts," he said, adding that the masses should be made aware of the reason why power was expensive before and the steps the incumbent government is taking to reduce the cost.
Faraz said that the circular debt of the power sector has taken a hold of the country's economy. "Past agreements have mortgaged the country and now we cannot break them."
The decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee were also ratified, Faraz said.
Faraz, blaming the past governments, said that they had focused on producing energy and did not pay attention to the transmission and supply of power.
"Line losses increased as [the past governments] did not focus on transmission [of energy]," he said.
Taking over the presser, Dr Sultan said that the rates of 94 medicines have been brought down to a "normal level".
"The 94 medicines include life-saving drugs, as well as those prescribed for blood pressure, epilepsy, cancer, and heart disease," he said.
The price of medicine for the treatment of coronavirus — Remdesivir — has been reduced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 8,400, Dr Sultan said.
