PRIME Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has given instructions to his cabinet colleagues to prepare a work plan based on briefings on the working and performance of their ministries, adding that the agenda of the next cabinet meeting would be based on that work plan. Addressing a cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, he emphasized that the caretakers were not there to design a government model or structure but carry on with general policy until and unless there were violations of the rules or business. And talking to media after visiting Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi, he held out a firm assurance that the interim government would ensure the holding of the upcoming general election in the country most transparently and impartially, acceptable to all concerned quarters.
There is no doubt that the caretaker government has a limited mandate of managing affairs of the state during the interim period and providing fullest possible cooperation to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities vis-à-vis the conduct of fair elections. However, this time round the country is passing through peculiar circumstances when no one knows for sure as to when exactly the elections would be held. Similarly, the previous coalition government, at the fag end of its tenure, concluded an accord with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for resumption of the suspended aid and there was a consensus to implement the agreement through continuity of policies. It was in this backdrop that Parliament approved a law giving more powers to the caretakers so that they could manage affairs of the state effectively in the somewhat extended timeframe till elections. As the government is fully empowered to take concrete measures to improve the economy and better the lot of the people, it is therefore, understandable that the ministries should come out with a work plan for the next several months that would enable it to leave the country in a better shape. There is an extreme sense of frustration among masses due to back-breaking inflation, extreme pressure on family resources, unemployment, corruption, lawlessness and political uncertainty. It is genuinely apprehended that things are at a boiling point and, therefore, all ministries should come out with a concrete plan of actions to help mitigate sufferings of the people. The role of the Ministry of Finance is most important in view of the continued jolts to the economy because of unending devaluation of the rupee, wholesale increase in the price of POL products and repeated upward revisions in electricity and gas tariff that are playing havoc with economic activities. People had pinned hopes on the professional duo of Dr. Shamshad Akhtar and Dr. Waqar Masood but there is no semblance of any check on exchange rate manipulations with serious implications for the general public. Implementation of the agreed terms and conditions with the IMF is something else and maintenance of vigilance against manipulators and misuse of the environment is something quite different. Similarly, national unity and solidarity should receive priority attention as the economy cannot flourish in an uncertain environment. The recent violence that the nation witnessed in Jaranwala was deplorable and, therefore, the Prime Minister has done well by announcing to hold a national inter-faith harmony moot next week. There are reasons to believe that some local elements and their foreign masters are always on the lookout for excuses to harm national unity and it is the responsibility of all citizens to extend a helping hand to the authorities concerned to foil their designs. Apart from measures aimed at promoting inter-faith harmony, a process should be initiated for announcement of firm dates for the next general elections. Previously, there were some hints that the polls might be held in February 2024 but now it is argued that a period of three month would be required for revision of electoral lists on completion of the ongoing task of delimitation of constituencies in mid-December, which means further delay in elections – till May next year. In a positive development, the ECP has expressed satisfaction over the Results Compilation System (RCS), which would enable presiding officers to convey the results instantly to the respective returning officers through mobile apps but actual stakeholders should also be taken on board as their satisfaction matters much, especially in the backdrop of what happened to the RTS in the last general elections.
