Gilgit visit: Sit-ins undermining govt war on prices, says Mamnoon

President takes note of overstaffing in govt institutions

GILGIT:

President Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday said that protest rallies in Islamabad had undermined the government’s efforts to check soaring prices and provide relief to the masses.

“We wanted to bring down the dollar further to control inflation but that didn’t happen due to the dharnas,” said the president, referring to the sit-ins staged by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) since the second week of August.

“But we will fix it as international economic organisations are pleased with our economic policies,” said Mamnoon, who is on a first visit to Gilgit upon assuming office.



Flanked by Gilgit – Baltistan Governor Pir Karam and Federal Minister Birjees Tahir at the Governor House, Mamnoon Hussain said that Pakistan is working closely with China to link the neighbouring country to Gwadar where an airport of international standard is to be constructed.

With the help of China, he said, more than 22,000 megawatt of electricity will be produced in the next four years at a cost of Rs34 billion.

The president also took note of overstaffing in government institutions, including PIA and Pakistan Railways, and said the excessive appointments made in previous tenures had cost the country dearly.

He said an aircraft requires about 120 staff to keep operations going. “But the figure is staggeringly high in Pakistan with 700 staff for one plane in PIA,” said the president.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2014.