F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD / QUETTA: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Saturday said that the interim government would focus more on rationalizing the expenditures, generations of revenue and development of human resource during its short constitutional period.
Talking to a delegation of students from Howard University US, the prime minister said that in Pakistan, about nine percent population was contributing towards GDP with their taxes. How to bring the undocumented economy, people in the tax net and how to invest in the human resources would be broadly focused during the short period of the caretaker government, he added.
The prime minister said Pakistan was gifted with the natural resources and was a country of talented people. He said the government was focusing to produce the high-tech educated and skilled human resource and cited a couplet of Allama Iqbal in which he had hinted the importance of human resource through individual and collective efforts. “Pakistani diaspora in the US is a success story itself,” he said, adding the Americans knew the Pakistanis who were contributing in their society.
A delegation of the Harvard University, comprising 38 students from nine different nationalities, is currently on a visit to Pakistan. Responding to a question, the prime minister said Pakistan had been the biggest victim of climate disaster which was a global issue. The climate change had become an existential threat, he added.
He opined that the world viewed the US as a big power but at the same time, expected it to turn itself into a green power. Appreciating the progress achieved by the American society, he said the diversification in the US society was an example for other countries to follow, adding their society was tolerant and what the US had produced in the domains of knowledge and skills was amazing.
The caretaker prime minister said the other countries ought to learn from it for their own benefits. Replying to a query, the prime minister elaborated the role played by Pakistan during the former USSR and Afghanistan war and the subsequent events in the region. He said Pakistan had contributed hugely towards the global peace and economy.
They had faced a lot of challenges in the past as the two powers of the world; the US and Russia, had been in its milieu which had implications, he added. PM Kakar, explaining a viewpoint, said that priorities by different governments in Pakistan kept on changing, but they did have visions and tried to visualize those visions. He also deliberated upon the history and creation of Pakistan.
The prime minister, to another question, said that democracy gave strength to parliament and mentioned that in Pakistan, in the last fifteen years, three successive democratic governments had completed their tenures. “Democracy is a process. We are committed to the performance and participatory process of democracy,” he said. The prime minister also underscored the importance of continuation of the social order and the maintenance of rule of law.
He said that Pakistan had been positively engaged with the US on different issues, adding there were also conversion and diversion between the both countries on various global issues. Protection, security of masses, country among govt’s top priorities: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Saturday said that protection and security of the country and nation, besides maintaining secure environment for the public, were among the top priorities of the government.
The prime minister chaired a meeting to review the law and order situation in the country, especially in Balochistan province, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release issued here. The meeting was attended by Caretaker Ministers Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, Shahid Ashraf Tarrar, Sami Saeed, Caretaker Chief Minister Balochistan Mardan Khan Domki and the senior civil and military officials.
During the meeting, the prime minister also stressed upon further improvement of legislative framework with regard to strengthening of the state response on security matters. He also reiterated that people would be provided with the financial and economic opportunities at the federal and provincial levels, adding for the effective utilization of resources, the formulation of latest and innovative strategy was indispensable.
The prime minister also lauded role of the provincial government and the law enforcement agencies for maintaining law and order situation in the province. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar chaired a meeting to review the pace of progress on the irrigation and water supply projects of Balochistan. During the meeting, he said despite the economic difficulties of the country, all assistance would be provided for the completion of these projects. The meeting was briefed on ongoing projects of irrigation in Balochistan including the Kachhi Canal, Pat Feeder Canal, Awaran Dam, Gashkor Dam and Winder Dam.
The prime minister said Balochistan had huge potential for agriculture but complete advantage was not taken from it. He said issues related to the provision of clean drinking water should be resolved on a priority basis. He said inter-provincial concerns regarding irrigation would be removed so that the country could make progress speedily and the federation could get strong. He directed the relevant authorities to complete the projects in the stipulated time.
The caretaker federal ministers Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Sami Saeed, Caretaker Chief Minister Balochistan Ali Mardan Domki, and provincial ministers and officials attended the meeting. PM for creation of job opportunities in Balochistan: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar underlined the need for the creation of jobs and livelihood opportunities in Balochistan through an effective strategy.
He directed for keeping a balance in the budget and expenditures through a better mechanism in the future and stressed upon proper utilization of resources. The prime minister chaired a meeting to review the development projects in Balochistan, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The meeting was attended by the caretaker chief minister, ministers and the relevant authorities. During the meeting, the prime minister observed that the province had immense potential in minerals mining which could be utilized for the development of the country’s economy. Mineral resources in the province could be fully tapped in the presence of effective communication infrastructure in those mineral-rich areas, he opined.
The chief secretary briefed the prime minister on the proposed and ongoing uplift projects in the province. The Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar also directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to complete the reconstruction of the Pinjra bridge as soon as possible so that citizens travelling from Quetta to Jacobabad could be facilitated. In a post on his X handle, he said work on the reconstruction of the Pinjra bridge was continuing at a fast pace. In another positive development, he said an alternative concrete bridge was completed from which heavy traffic was passing.
