The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved Rs20 billion as a special allocation for counterterrorism Operation Azm-i-Istehkam during the company fiscal year 2024-25.

The ECC also approved Rs1,951.995 million on account of payment of security charges for the Reko Diq Project to Frontier Corps Balochistan (South).

Azm-e-Istehkam is a reinvigorated national counter-terrorism campaign, according to the government. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved it in June with the consensus of all stakeholders including provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, at the Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan meeting.

“Azm-i-Istehkam will integrate and synergise multiple lines of effort to combat the menaces of extremism and terrorism in a comprehensive and decisive manner,” according to a government statement.

Last month, the military’s media wing said that a “strong” lobby was opposing the counterterrorism campaign and did not want the revised National Action Plan to succeed.

The ECC also gave conditional approval to the export of an additional 100,000 metric tons of sugar, the summary for which was submitted by the industries and production ministry.

According to the finance ministry’s press release, the ECC put a condition that given procedural delays encountered during the export of sugar, the period allowed for export of sugar from the date of allocation of quota by the respective cane commissioner should be extended from 45 days to 60 days.

In addition, it said, export proceeds should be received in advance in the case of Afghanistan only through banking channels, however, export proceeds in the case of LC may be allowed within 60 days of the opening of LC for the export of sugar to other destinations.

It said the benchmark for retail price of sugar may be delinked from the permission to export sugar as retail price is not directly under the control of sugar mills.

The condition of revoking of export quota in case of non-payment of dues of the growers from proceeds of export of sugar should be applicable only to the non-compliant mills rather than PMSA as a whole, it added.

Moreover, the ECC decided to monitor the market situation on a monthly basis and review its decision as per emerging needs and instructed the Sugar Advisory Board to develop a comprehensive sugar policy within two months to address the sector’s challenges and ensure sustainable growth.

It also considered and approved the following technical supplementary grants including Rs276.250 million in favour of the interior ministry to HQ Frontier Corps KP (N) TSG for Project Implementation Letters (PILs).