Caretaker govt’s mandate to monitor elections: PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said the mandate of the caretaker government is to assist and monitor the electoral process.

Addressing the cabinet here on Tuesday, the caretaker prime minister said that keeping in mind the prime mandate, the caretaker government would monitor its day-to-day activities to the best of its abilities, saying they were in the government as a constitutional continuation for a limited period.

“We are not here to design the government model or structure,” the prime minister said. He maintained that as a continuation of the previous government, the caretaker setup was supposed to carry on with the general policy until and unless there were any violations of rules or business.

Kakar said the National Assembly has retired and they were waiting for the new elections, adding Senate was still there but it could not carry out any legislation alone in the absence of the National Assembly.

The caretaker prime minister directed the cabinet members to come up with a work plan by taking briefings from their respective ministries and the agenda of the next cabinet meeting would be based on that work plan.

Kakar, who only a day before visited Jaranwala, termed the protection of minorities as the topmost priority. He apprised the cabinet of his visit and categorically stated that fanning religious hatred and extremism will not be allowed at any. He assured awarding exemplary punishment to those involved in the Jaranwala incident.

The meeting recommended to organize a national-level inter-faith harmony conference next week. Scholars of different religions and schools of thought would be invited to the conference.

Talking to the media after visiting the Mazar-e-Quaid for offering Fateha for the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on Tuesday, the PM said that the caretaker government would function for a limited timeframe only to ensure a smooth conduct of the election process.

Kakar reiterated that the interim government would ensure the holding of upcoming general elections most transparently and impartially, acceptable to all the concerned quarters.

On the occasion, the caretaker PM was accompanied by Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqir and members of his cabinet. It was the maiden visit of the caretaker prime minister to Karachi after assuming his office.

Kakar told media persons that the caretaker set-up in the country would play its part in this regard by holding transparent and impartial polls so that Pakistan could move through its constitutional transitional period.

He said that he, along with his few cabinet members, came here to pay homage to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and reaffirm their commitment to work for the progress and prosperity of the country by highlighting the social contract under which a separate state came into being for the Muslims of the Indian Sub-continent.

Referring to an address of the Founder of the Nation before the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, he said the Quaid-e-Azam’s speech in question had focused on the rights of minorities and equality among individuals. Kakar expressed the optimism that the people of the country would excel in different fields based on their talents for brightening the future of the country.

Earlier, the prime minister laid a wreath at the grave of the Founder of the Nation and offered Fateha.

Meanwhile, the caretaker PM assured the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan that the government would utilise all possible resources to address the issues faced by Karachi. He made the remarks in a meeting with a delegation of the MQM Pakistan, which called on him here at the Governor House. The delegation comprised Dr Farooq Sattar, Syed Aminul Haq and Khawaja Izharul Hassan. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also attended the meeting.

The delegation members congratulated the caretaker PM on assuming the office and expressed good wishes to him. They discussed the country’s overall situation, including economy, interfaith harmony and other matters of mutual interest.

The MQM delegation drew the PM’s attention towards the issues related to the delimitation of electoral constituencies in Karachi and shortage of potable water in the city.

Meanwhile, on the recommendation of Finance Ministry, the interim federal cabinet fixed the amount of Diyat equal to 30,630 grams of silver, at Rs6,757,902 for the year 2023-24.

The spokesman for Sindh Governor House said that later the Caretaker PM met businessmen at a dinner reception at Governor House. The issues of the business community were discussed on the occasion. Those who attended the occasion included Zubair Motiwala, Arif Habib, Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, Salman Chawla, Tariq Rafique, Bashir Jan Muhammad, and other prominent businessman associated with FPCCI and Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry.