PRIME Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has stressed the need to hold national dialogue on important national issues including governance structure, politics and economy, adding Parliament could play a leading role in this regard to ensure a healthy and prosperous society in the country. In an interview, he said the federal government was taking concrete measures in collaboration with all provinces to control inflation which would yield positive results in the days to come. He also responded to questions about the general election, deportation of illegal immigrants, energy crisis and the proposed visit of the Saudi Crown Prince to Pakistan.
We have long been hearing about the need for a national dialogue, national reconciliation and the Charter of Economy but, unfortunately, no worthwhile practical step has so far been taken to realize these cherished objectives. After a long time, the Caretaker Government is taking the necessary steps to address the challenges facing the country in different spheres of life but their sustainability becomes a big issue in the backdrop of growing polarization of the society and disarrayed politics. Some analysts describe general elections as the panacea for the ill of the country but polls are unlikely to produce a stable government in the given situation and, therefore, a national dialogue to forge consensus on important issues becomes all the more necessary. It is, however, strange that instead of taking an initiative, the Caretaker PM has apparently left the matter to Parliament which is not complete at the moment. Why not take an initiative and invite all national leaders and parties for thorough discussions to evolve a consensus on these issues? The optimism of the PM about the success of the measures to check inflation augurs well for people hard-pressed by the unprecedented price-hike but the required administrative measures against profiteers are still not visible. We fully support the resolve of the PM to expel all illegal foreigners as there was absolutely no justification to continue to host them at the cost of socio-economic sufferings of the people of Pakistan. It is also appreciable that the relevant ministries and departments were doing their homework to make the proposed visit of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia productive and successful.
