ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Pakistani Prime Minister Hazar Khoso has banned foreign visits of federal secretaries of divisions and heads of departments and autonomous bodies until the general elections are over.
According to a notification issued by Cabinet Division, the visits by the secretaries of the divisions and heads of departments were banned with immediate effect.
“It has been desired by the prime minister that until the holding of the general elections, the secretaries of divisions, heads of departments and autonomous bodies should ensure their presence in Islamabad. Tours to other cities should be undertaken with the prior approval of the principal secretary to the prime minister”.
The notification says only those foreign visits should be undertaken by the secretaries of the divisions/heads of departments and autonomous bodies that are mandatory and are of extreme importance.
Sources explained that such an exemption would be granted to Secretary Finance Nasir Khosa and Governor State Bank of Pakistan Yaseen Anwar who were scheduled to visit Washington DC for attending spring meeting of IMF/World Bank from April 19 to 21.
Sources in the PM’s Secretariat said the premier was forced to slap a ban on tours abroad as well as other cities because many applications were forwarded to the interim government for seeking No Objection Certificate (NOC) on foreign visits. “Keeping in view this rampant trend, the PM took decision to impose ban on tours,” they said. internews
