Kakar vows to change governance style

PM warns of crackdown on ‘smuggling industry’ as Torkham border reopens

ISLAMABAD:

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday said the interim set-up was working without any fear or favour to provide relief to the people by tackling several gigantic tasks, such as a consistent crackdown on smuggling and repatriating illegal refugees.

Speaking to the media after chairing a high-level meeting in the federal capital, Kakar emphasised on the limited tenure of the caretaker, promising a change in governance style for the betterment of the country.

The meeting, chaired by Kakar, discussed the monitoring, implementation, and future strategy over the decisions taken a week ago on smuggling, power theft, and hoarding.

He said that the priority of the caretaker government was to provide relief to the inflation-hit people through administrative measures.

Read: Power void: Political parties in deep slumber as ECP silent on election date

“We want to assure the people that the caretaker government, whether it stays in office either for one month or one-and-a-half months, will prove effective in its governance,” he said. “Our focus is on the correcting governance issues. So let there be no lapses in our actions.”

On a personal note, the prime minister stressed that he was not an absolute ruler.

“I am not a Mughal emperor to line up 10 politicians and 10 bureaucrats and shoot them. There is no big fish here, I only know the law,” he added.

To a question about the measure to control cross-border smuggling after the reopening of the Torkham border with Afghanistan, the prime minister said that an effective management plan was being implemented to control smuggling.

He warned of a consistent crackdown against illegal trade.

“We have zero tolerance for those involved in the ‘smuggling industry’ and the law will take its course,” he said. “Those who have made investments in this illegal activity will suffer losses very soon.”

He dismissed the impression that a check on smuggling would deny a source of livelihood to the locals in the border areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan, saying that the people in those provinces deserved “a correct and healthy environment of trade” and not smuggling.

Read more: Torkham border reopens for traffic after eight-day closure

Asked about the involvement of Afghan refugees in cross-border smuggling, Kakar said an effective policy in this regard had been agreed upon.

“We have made a policy to control the smuggling by Afghan refugees and its effects will be seen very soon.”

The prime minister said that there was no place for aliens in Pakistan and they would be sent back “because they have no right to live on our land”.

He said: “We will push the [Afghan] aliens back to their country and no one without visa will be allowed to live here,” he said.

Kakar divided the Afghans living in Pakistan into three categories: those registered with the government, aliens with no justification to reside, and those living with identity theft.

He regretted the previous lenient approach that resulted in various social evils.

Price hike

The prime minister called for breaking the nexus of politicians and public officials involved in misappropriation to get effective results.

“We will take action on adopting a due process without fear and favour, and will take them [culprits] to the court of law,” he said.

He said that prices of many things were related to prices in the global market and “I think the people understand that there is no malice or negligence on our part”.

He added that the market control committees had been revived in the country.

About the hike in petroleum prices thrice during the tenure of the incumbent government, he said the matter was beyond domestic control and was linked to the global increase.

About the electricity tariff, he said that the decision on the payment in instalments for users of up to 200 units would be taken soon.

Elections
When asked about the general elections, the prime minister said that giving the date of the polls was the domain of the Election commission of Pakistan (ECP). “If I announce the date of election, it will be illegal,” he said. “Don’t lure me into illegal activity.”
The prime minister rejected the criticism over the appointment of former bureaucrats Fawad Hasan Fawad and Ahad Cheema – considered to be close to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – in the caretaker cabinet.
He said he considered both of them to be “capable individuals with integrity” with their prime identity as former civil servants.
“I don’t think they have ever been the members or office-holders of any political party,” he added.
To another question regarding the nullification of the amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance, Kakar said that the decision had just come and he would get the opinion of the law ministry.
“[Then] we will take a decision accordingly, and we will let you know the decision.”
The prime minister stressed that the government believed in the freedom of press, rejecting the notion of stifling it.
“A normal media ecosystem is in place and there is no bar on the outlets, even on airing criticism of the caretaker government,” he said.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)