ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Tuesday said Aslam Khan has been appointed as new Chairman of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

He said this while briefing media in Islamabad about the decisions taken at the federal cabinet meeting.

Fawad Chaudhry said the government was determined to give voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and to take steps to hold next general elections through Electronic Voting Machines.

“EVM is the best way to ensure transparency in the election process and the machines Pakistan wants to adopt will have both paper and electronic trail of the ballot,” he said adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should take practical steps in this regard.

The minister said the cabinet also approved Public Property Encroachment Bill to recover state lands from illegal occupants across Pakistan.

He said it was also approved to have dual nationality with Luxemburg so now Pakistani citizens can adopt the nationality of Luxemburg as well.

To a question, the minister said around 400,000 people were being vaccinated on daily basis while the government aimed to vaccinate 70 million people till the end of the following year. He said after achieving the desired target of vaccination drive, Covid situation would be much better in the country. “Our vaccination drive is being appreciated at various forums in the world,” he said.

Regarding issues faced by vaccinated Pakistanis going abroad, he said discussions are underway between various countries and World Health Organization to accord approval of different vaccines.