Govt exploring realistic options to provide relief: PM

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar assured that his government was exploring realistic options to come up with out-of-box solutions to provide relief to electricity consumers.

The prime minister, in an interaction with foreign media representatives, said the government would make informed decisions to satisfy the masses on the issue of electricity bills without deviating from the country’s commitments with international financial institutions.

Mentioning the issues of circular debt, power theft, and taxes, the prime minister said the government would introduce short-term solutions to address the issue without undermining agitating people.

He assured that the interim government was mandated to facilitate holding the general elections as early as possible while observing constitutional obligations. He said the Constitution called for carrying out the delimitation following the population census.

PM Kakar said without redesigning the government structure, the interim setup was focused on rearranging the fiscal and monetary policies to build an edifice for economic revival.

Calling the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) a strategy for economic revival, the prime minister said it focused on agriculture, mines and minerals, defence production and information technology.

He also spelled out the economic reform agenda of his government, saying that the imminent steps included the privatization of two or more power distribution companies.

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PM Kakar said reforms were needed in taxation and power sectors and that the government would leave behind a basis for mid-level reforms. He said the government was pursuing a policy of providing a strategic direction to economic planning.

To a question, he said all the registered political parties would be provided a level-playing field to contest the general elections without any discrimination. However, he said in certain instances, political behaviour turned into vandalism and the country’s law was already in vogue to deal with such conduct.

About the May 9 riots, he said the attack on the military installations was an attempt to create societal disorder. That existential threat needed a lawful response and he supported the laws to curb such behaviour, he added.

Talking about the terror attacks by the TTP, the prime minister drew attention to the leftover military equipment by the US and allied forces back in Afghanistan which he viewed were becoming a threat to peace thus necessitating a coordinated approach to deal with the challenge.

He said the foreign forces left Afghanistan after losing interest but “we are here to defend our home, children, mosques and places of worship.” He said the government was coming up with a policy to address the challenge of illegal immigrants.