ISLAMABAD: With the Panamagate verdict and 2018 polls looming, the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) appears to have entered election mode.

This was apparent from a series of voter-friendly decisions the federal cabinet took on Wednesday, which included lifting a ban on recruitment to government jobs and the regularisation of over 50,000 temporary employees; opening gas connections to schemes launched over the past four years; and, launching housing schemes for the homeless.

A media briefing by Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb suggested that the cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had also cleared routine business, such as approval of the Haj policy; amendments to the drug act; and, the endorsement of a decision to outsource the country`s three main airports to the private sector. In addition, decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee were also endorsed and assent was given for signingof over 20 MoUs of various nature.

According to the minister, the cabinet approved amendments to the recruitment policy to `ensure merit-based recruitment` in government jobs. Ms Aurangzeb said the policy had been improved and that those currently working on daily wages, on a temporary or contract basis, would be given age relaxations with a pointbased selection criteria.

Inductions/regularisation for grades 1 through 15 would be carried out directly by the relevant ministries and agencies, while those in grades 16 and17 would be hired through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).

In both cases, existing employees working on daily wages or a contract basis would be entitled to a preferential point for each year of service completed and so on. This means that those hiredbythecurrentgovernment over the past few years would have additional marks over their unemployed counterparts.

A government functionary accompanying the information minister said the scheme was expected to absorb more than 50,000 employees who could not be regularised due to a ban on government hiring and that many of those working on an ad hoc basis might have gained the relevant experi-ence, but would have surpassed the age limit.

Ms Aurangzeb also said the prime minister had approved the appointment of Dr Abdullah Malik as member (oil) of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.

Housing schemes Ms Aurangzeb said the meeting was given a presentation on housing by Minister for Planning and Develoment Ahsan Iqbal. A committee -led by housing minister Akram Khan Durrani and consisting of the ministers for planning, railways, Safron and secretaries to the prime minister, unance, housing, planning ministries, along with and senior representatives of the State Bank of Pakistan and the National Bank of Pakistan-was taskedwith working out financial arrangements for the housing scheme, which would be resubmitted to the cabinet for approval within 10 days.

She said the scheme proposed launching housing projects for tens of thousands of homeless people, which would be financed through government support. This will allow citizens to purchase their own houses over a 14to 15-year period through a series of monthly instalments.

Gas connections Thecabinetalsoapproved the lifting of a moratorium on gas connections for industrial, commercial and residential consumers, imposed in 2011 due to a gas shortage.

The information minister said the removal of the moratorium was recommended by the cabinet committee on energy earlier this week, in view of an improvement in gas supplies due to the injection of imported re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) into the system.

The meeting also approved the execution of gas development schemes approved by the PML-N government and okayed gas supply to these schemes. The schemes were mostly proposed by PML-N leaders and coalition partners and have already been approved by the prime minister, but required cabinet approval to avoid litigation amid criticism from opposition parties and provincial governments.

Haj policy She said the cabinet had approved the Haj Policy 2017, but the prime minister had not agreed to the increased costs and had directed that the expenses be worked out again and presented before the next cabinet meeting.An official said the ministry had proposed charges that were Rs17,429 higher than last year due to inflation, putting total Haj charges at Rs288,370 and Rs279,370 per person for those flying from northern and southern destinations, respectively.

The prime minister directed that maximum possible facilities be provided to pilgrims without increasing expenses.

Airports outsourced The minister said the cabinet had also approved the outsourcing of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports and their allied facilities to the private sector.

She said it was a universal practice that agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) acted as regulators while airports and allied facilities were operated by private companies for better services.

She said the decision to outsource airports would improve management and service delivery and the CAA would continue to have a regulatory role.