Photo courtesy PID
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Sunday said his government will strive to take the “right decisions” rather than “popular” ones, adding measures taken to revive the national economy will soon bear fruit.
“We prefer right decisions for the country instead of resorting to populism,” he said during an interview with private broadcaster 24News. “The government is taking measures to improve the economy, and the signs of improvement will start appearing soon,” he claimed, adding the incumbent government’s goal was to lay a foundation for the next elected government.
On when he expected elections to take place, he said this was the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s mandate. However, he said, it should be held before March 2024, as half the Senate would be vacated at that point and all assemblies needed to be in place to elect new senators. He also clarified that incumbent president Arif Alvi—whose tenure expired last week—could continue until his successor was elected.
On leniency for suspects of the May 9 riots, Kakar said justice did not revolve around the concept of amnesty. “Let us have an open debate on state institutions, nation-building and strengthening of democracy. However, we cannot reward bad behavior with amnesty,” he said.
Discussing the significance of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the interim prime minister claimed important steps for economic recovery and the agricultural sector had already been taken. In this regard, he claimed, border areas were being closely monitored to prevent smuggling. He hoped the SIFC would attract investment, reiterating that Gulf countries were willing to invest in the country. He said a Pakistani consortium of oil companies and Saudi oil company Aramco were in talks to set up an oil refinery in Pakistan, adding efforts were underway for a visit to Pakistan of the Saudi crown prince to exploit the economic opportunities in the country.
Detailing some of the issues brought up in the SIFC, he said the government was devising a plan to raise awareness about tax culture, economic initiatives and strategic issues. “Relaying information would kill rumors on its own,” he said, stressing that both the military leadership and the government were clear on regulating the movement of people and goods on the borders with Iran and Afghanistan. “Our foreign policy is driven by geo-economics and core strategic goals,” he said.
He claimed one of the reasons for the lack of industry and agriculture in Balochistan was a lenient approach toward smuggling, which had adversely affected the economy. Smuggling from border areas affected import policies and the economic management, he added.
The interim prime minister said the caretaker government was keeping a close eye on expenditures and looking into the problems of pension funds. He said efforts were underway to rationalize the public expenditure and increase revenue to create a viable state and lessen existential threats due to economic vulnerability.
On his planned visit to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, he said it was decided that Pakistan should be represented at the highest level to articulate and reiterate the country’s position on issues of strategic importance.