Sindh Cabinet on Saturday has decided to lift a ban on all kind of recruitments and decided to fill around 90,000 posts vacant in the province.

Almost half of them are promotion posts, therefore about 50,000 positions would be filled through selection committee and Sindh Public Service Commission, according to their pay and scale. "This step would help improve the performance of government departments where positions are vacant and reduce poverty in the province through employment opportunities."

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while presiding over 4th cabinet meeting clarified to all the cabinet members that there would not be any compromise on merit. "I need efficient people to make the departments efficient," he said.

The meeting strongly condemned India aggression and paid tribute to the soldiers killed by Indian Army on the border. The cabinet on behalf of people of Sindh assured Pakistan Army of their full support. "We are with you in defence of our beloved country," the cabinet said and offered fateha for both the killed soldiers.

The cabinet demanded the prime minister to convene All-Parties Conference (APC) on issue of tension on the borders so that national unity and strategy could be developed on this important national issue. The chief minister said the unemployed youth were looking towards the government to lift the ban.

"It is an appropriate time to lift the ban on recruitment-because the government is trying to improve the efficiency of all the government departments," he said and added this would be possible when all the vacant positions would be filled on merit.

The chief minister ordered all the departments to start holding departmental Promotional Committee (DPCs) meetings so that promotion posts could be filled and rest be advertised in the national press.

The meeting also discussed the ToRs and SOP of Special Security Division - South (Sindh and Balochistan) being created by the federal government to provide security to the CPEC projects. In the SSD there would be nine infantry battalions comprising a force of 9000 soldiers and six wings of 4,502 civil and military forces.

The federal government has requested the Sindh to grant SSD policing powers in the area of their operation. The cabinet members showed their reservations, saying that the police stations were working there, if a parallel force is created with police powers there would be a serious clash of mandate and laws.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the Sindh government was committed to provide security to CPEC projects and their manpower but the reservations expressed by cabinet members carry weight. Therefore, he constituted a committee under him [CM} with ministers Nisar Khuhro, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab to examine the request and frame recommendations. The cabinet authorised the chief minister to talk to the federal government and take decision on SSD accordingly.

The cabinet discussed shisha smoking/cafe, gutka and manpuri at length and decided to impose a ban on them. The Secretary Health briefing the cabinet said that shisha smoking is equal to smoking 150 cigarettes in single time. About nine liters smoke is inhaled when a person smokes shisha in a session. The cabinet meeting while imposing a ban on shihsh, gutka and manpuri, directed the IG police to implement the decision.

Chief minister Syed Murad Ali taking the cabinet into confidence said that he had taken a decision to fix operation timing of shops and markets from 9am to 7pm while the closing time of marriage halls would be 10pm. The cabinet appreciated the decision and a committee comprising Industries Minister Manzoor Wassan, Advisor to Chief Ministers Senator Saeed Ghani (labour), Moula Bux Chandio (information), was formed to talk to small traders, marriage hall management and other concerned.

"I am keen to implement it just after 10 Muharram and everyone, including traders, businessmen and civil society are supporting me," he said.

The Sindh chief minister taking the cabinet into confidence urged the IG Police to take action against the vehicles plying on `Applied for Registration' AFR (number) plates. "I have directed Excise department to register all the CM House vehicles and issue them number plates," he said and added that he had installed a registration number plate on his official car and removed the monogram of `Wazire Ala Sindh.'

He also directed the chief secretary that every vehicle must have number plates, those which are used for protocol duty should have sticker of `Protocol' but must bear standard registration number plates. IG police AD Khwaja briefed the cabinet about the security plan he has made for Muharram majalis and jaloos (Procession). There would be sufficient force in uniform and in plain clothes guarding the mourners all over Sindh.

"We have upgraded CCTV system and have made it more efficient," he said and added that he was in need of more cameras. On this, the chief minister directed IT department to provide 200 CCTV cameras lying with them to police department. The IG said that the police and Rangers in close co-ordination with intelligence agencies were monitoring borders and have made a foolproof security arrangement for Muharram.

The chief minister directed Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Khuhro to bring all the private bills in the cabinet meetings for discussion. It is the government side which passes and implements the bills, therefore discussion on them in the cabinet would be good for better legislation. He said that he wanted to discuss private bill on dowry in the cabinet shortly. The cabinet also discussed some draft bills and sent most of them to the cabinet committee for further discussions.