Interim govt: ‘No room for caretaker set-up of technocrats’

Kaira says Pakistan was created by politicians, who could better run its affairs.

ISLAMABAD:

Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Saturday that there was no room for a technocrat-led caretaker government as politicians were better equipped to manage the country’s affairs.

Talking to media persons outside parliament house, Kaira said that in the presence of a host of honest and clean politicians, there was no need to ask technocrats to work as caretakers.

He said that Pakistan was created by politicians, who were better equipped to manage the country’s affairs.

Responding to a question, Kaira said that a team of government negotiators would visit Lahore on Sunday to hold talks with Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.

Replying to another question, Kaira said former chief of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Tauqir Sadiq was appointed by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on the recommendation of a committee that had shortlisted four names from a list of 17 candidates. Gilani could not be blamed for the crimes of Tauqir Sadiq.

He also pointed out that Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had not appointed Sadiq. In order to avoid creating sensation, Kaira said, the media should focus on court verdicts rather than highlighting remarks during the proceedings.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2013.