Caretaker PM in action

A good beginning

The National Assembly was dissolved on August 9 by President Arif Alivi on the advice of Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, thus paving the way for induction of the caretaker set-up for running the day-to-day national affairs till the holding of the general election.

In accordance with the constitutional provisions regarding picking up a suitable person as the caretaker prime minister, outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmad held consultations. After  mutual consultations more than once, they came up with the name of Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar from Balochistan as the caretaker prime minister.

According to the then reports which appeared in the media, the name of  Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar was suggested by Raja Riaz Ahmad and PM Shehbaz Sharif accepted it as a unanimously agreed candidate for the caretaker prime minister.After being so named, Anwarul Haq resigned from his political affiliations  He did not hurry to take oath  forthwith but preferred to do so on the auspicious occasion of the Independence Day on August 14, at the Presidency where President Arif Alvi administered the oath to him.

It goes to the credit of the caretaker prime minister for taking harsh and strong decisions notwithstanding any pressures whatsoever. The caretaker federal government was coming hard and harsh at smuggling of all sorts, topped by dollars following which Pakistani Rupee has started gradually  stabilizing. which was being appreciated by all

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has been in office for less than two months but he has already made quite emphatically clear  that he means business, will not tolerate any nonsense and try his level best to set things right to the maximum level in the greater national interest as long as he is in the office.

As the caretaker prime minister, who for the first time has got expanded mandate rather than merely looking after day-to-day routine work and ensuring holding of the  general election on the date which is yet  to be announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Anwarul Haq Kakar has been quite active both at the internal as well as external fronts. In all fairness ,what the caretaker federal government was doing to tackle  the long lingering and pending burning issues  was more than what the previous federal governments had done in years together.

On the external front, the caretaker prime minister undertook his maiden foreign visit lasting five days to New York (USA) and London (Britain.In New York, he attended the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit Leaders 6 on the topic “Mobilizing  finance and the means of implementation  for SDG achievement.” He stressed the dire need for adequate financing for the poor nations and sought climate justice for Pakistan, including fulfilment of the pledge to provide over $100 billion  annually in climate finance at the forthcoming  CoP 28 Summit,which  has been further  exacerbated  by a morally  bankrupt international financial architecture.

Anwarul Haq Kakar attended the 78th session of the  UN General Assembly and in his maiden address emphatically  called upon the UN Security Council  to ensure implementation  of its resolution on Kashmir, strongly urging  the world at large  .for effectively countering  state terrorism including Hindutva fascism unleashed by the Indian government, and reiterated that Pakistan desires peaceful relations with all its neighbours, including India with whom relations continued to be strained due to its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir for 75 years and torturing and killing Kashmiris demanding their birthright of self-determination in accordance with UNSC resolutions.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the caretaker [prime minister  held meetings with a number of world leaders including Iranian President  Sayyid Ebrahim  Raisi, Turkish President Recep  Tayyip Erdogan, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Co-Chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates  and exchanged views for further promoting and strengthening bilateral relations. He also addressed a press conference in New York and called for the formation of an alliance for keeping a close and strict check on India’s rogue behaviour.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, while in London, addressed the senior leaders of the financial markets  and said that the British investors were keen to invest in Pakistan. He also talked to the newsmen and interacted with the students at Oxford University and visited Islamic Studies Centre and availed the opportunity here and there underlying the urgent need for the world to wake up  as India’s Hindutva was fast spilling over to the West .

The caretaker prime minister’s maiden foreign visit was quite productive, result-oriented, meaningful and successful  despite being short and packed with hectic activities and engagements. He rightfully presented Pakistan’s point of view on all occasions which was duly appreciated and endorsed by the world leaders by and large.

On the domestic front, the federal government headed by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar was quite appreciably and determinedly countering the  host of socio-economic problems and issues and pursuing policies aiming at serving the people at large.

It goes to the credit of the caretaker prime minister for taking harsh and strong decisions notwithstanding any pressures whatsoever. The caretaker federal government was coming hard and harsh at smuggling of all sorts, topped by dollars following which Pakistani Rupee has started gradually  stabilizing. which was being appreciated by all.

Caretaker prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar also took strong notice of hefty electricity bills  following protests by the people and ordered a crackdown on power theft which was  producing good results. Smuggling and hoarding of eatables like sugar and other essential articles were also being firmly and strongly checked and curbed. with positive results.

Reiterating  the commitment to eliminate  terrorism and extremism in all forms and shapes and in the wake of somehow accelerated terrorist attacks, the caretaker prime minister and his government have quite rightly and justifiably taken strong decisions asking all aliens living illegally  in Pakistan to  leave by October 30.    .

The caretaker prime minister continues to do good work aiming at welfare of the people, betterment of the  national economy and this all augurs well for the beloved motherland.

Muhammad Zahid Rifat
Muhammad Zahid Rifat
The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) , Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at [email protected]

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