ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the ministries concerned to take measures to make the prices of essential items stable as well as ensuring their availability in markets for the benefit of common man.

Briefing media on cabinet decisions in Islamabad Monday evening, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said the prime minister directed that strict action would be taken against profiteers and hoarders as it was main responsibility of the government to ensure provision of goods to the people.

In this regard, the PM has convened a meeting of provincial chief ministers and chief secretaries on Friday in which measures would be discussed to galvanise the price control committees at grass roots level.

Imran Khan directed that a mechanism should be developed in coordination with provincial Auqaf Departments to take steps for land retrieval and its proper use for public service purposes. A data bank on these lands should also be prepared.

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The cabinet endorsed the decisions of previous meeting of Economic Coordination Committee.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the cabinet was given various proposals regarding the establishment of Real Estate Regulatory Authority.

She said the federal cabinet gave approval to the new Master Plan of Islamabad on immediate basis. For this purpose, professional architects and consultants of international repute will be hired to undertake the process.

Special consideration will be made for environmental challenges while drafting the new Master Plan for the federal capital,” she said.

The PM’s special assistant said the meeting decided to take up Sector G-6 on pilot basis to introduce reforms and develop it into a modern housing area. The meeting decided that structural plan of high rise buildings and other infrastructure would also be revised and overlapping of work would be reduced.

She said existing master plan of Islamabad was made in 1960s and it has not been revised so far. As a result, a mushroom growth and unplanned development was witnessed in different areas of the federal capital, putting a strain on essential services. This unplanned growth also disturbed the beauty of Islamabad.