Export of donkey meat, hides to China allowed

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Monday approved the export of donkey meat and hides from Gwadar Port to China.

The ECC gave its approval after taking up a summary submitted by the Food Security Division. It approved a proposal for the disposal of existing inventory in accordance with export protocols.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the meeting. The chief economist briefed the participants on recent trends in key economic indicators, particularly price movements of essential commodities and overall inflation dynamics.

The meeting noted with satisfaction that “inflationary pressures are easing”, with prices of essential commodities declining and overall trends pointing towards “a gradual stabilisation” after recent volatility.

The presentation noted that inflationary pressures were showing “signs of moderation”, with emerging trends pointing toward “improved price stability”.

Weekly monitoring data reflects that, after a temporary uptick, the pace of increase in prices of essential items has slowed.

Technical supplementary grants

The ECC approved a number of proposals, including technical supplementary grants (TSGs) across ministries and divisions. These included Rs100 million to the Cannabis Control & Regulatory Authority (CCRA) for renovation of its facilities, Rs311m to the Balochistan government under the Finance Division to support an incentive package for federal government officials posted in provinces; Rs372m to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to support digital transformation and implementation of AI-based systems; and Rs30m to the Ministry of Inter- Provincial Coordination for grant of financial rewards to the national hockey team, which recently qualified for the World Cup.

PIA’s liabilities

The ECC discussed a summary submitted by the defence ministry regarding the allocation of Rs5.98 billion in favour of PIA Holding Company for settlement of liabilities of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation.

Out of the total amount, the ECC approved funding for reimbursement of medical and pension payments as well as for salary disbursements.

The ECC approved a summary submitted by the Commerce Division for amendments to the Import Policy Order in line with Pakistan’s commitments under International Labour Organisation conventions to introduce a prohibitory clause on import of goods produced through forced labour.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026