The federal cabinet approved declaring the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) infrastructure as critical under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to safeguard its sensitive data from potential cyberattacks and unlawful breaches.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated that the initiative aims to further protect the integrity of FBR’s data, a step deemed crucial following past incidents, including the leak of tax records of former Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s family in 2021.
The cabinet also extended temporary operating permits for Fly Dubai’s weekly flights from Lahore and Islamabad to Dubai from January 4 to February 3, 2025, following a recommendation from the Aviation Division.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication reported on the large-scale implementation of the e-Office system across federal ministries, marking the first such initiative. From January 1, 2025, all inter-ministerial communications will be paperless.
The system has been fully deployed in 21 ministries and divisions, with processing times for summaries at the PM’s Office reduced to a maximum of three days.
The cabinet approved the purchase of refurbished Chromebooks for schools and colleges, with a third-party audit mandated by the prime minister.
Additionally, an MoU was endorsed between Pakistan’s Investment Board and China’s Shandong Ruyi Group to establish textile parks.
The meeting concluded with the validation of decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases during its meetings on December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
