Karachi: The provincial Sindh government on Saturday lifted a years-long ban on government jobs with an aim of vigorous hiring in the next month to employ around 100,000 people, a minister said.
The decision was made in a fortnightly cabinet meeting which was presided over by Syed Murad Ali Shah, the chief minister.
Mola Buksh Chandio, the information minister, briefing the media about the cabinet decision, said that the jobs would be provided to the candidates on merit basis.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government had put the ban on government jobs at the end of its previous term in the Sindh government.
The cabinet also condemned the Indian attack on the Line of Control (LoC) and called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to convene an all parties conference to discuss security matters. He said that the cabinet was of the view that despite the political differences with the government, all the parties were unified on matters of security.
He said that the Sindh government would fulfil its responsibilities to strengthen national security.
Announcing other cabinet decisions, Chandio said that the provincial government had also decided to implement cut-off time of 10pm at marriage halls to save energy. Though the orders were already in place they were rarely abided by. The information minister said that soon the law of one dish only would be introduced at wedding ceremonies.
The government also decided to come down on ‘gutka’ (a mixture of chewing tobacco, betel nut with harmful chemicals) and the gutka culture would be eradicated from all over the province including Karachi.
A ban on cigarette smoking at public places would also be implemented, he said.
The cabinet meeting also reviewed the security measurements on the eve of the upcoming month of Muharram. The police as well as paramilitary Rangers had drawn up an extensive security plan to safeguard the hundreds of Shiite processions during the first 10 days of the month.
