We will fight extremism: PM

F.P. Report
KARACHI: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar Wednesday categorically said that Pakistan would never surrender to radicalization, extremism and intolerance but rather would fight without falling prey to war fatigue.
“Those who think we will fall prey to war fatigue should clear their misunderstanding. This war is not fought by individuals… This war is fought by nation… Surrendering is not an option. We will fight no matter what,” he said during a press conference during his visit here.
Referring to the martyrdom of soldiers in South Waziristan on Tuesday, he said that Pakistan was not a power that would return 5,000 kilometers away from here. “This is our home. We are here. We will run our home in our own way,” he said.
The prime minister said those trying to undermine the morale of the Pakistani nation should clear their misunderstanding as Pakistan would never forget the sacrifices of its martyrs. He said Pakistan was not fighting this war on alms but rather spending our own taxpayers’ money. He said the Pakistani soldiers were not rendering sacrifices in return for the salaries.
“Their service is not in return for salaries, rather respect and dignity is their salary. Salary is just meant to suffice their needs. The nation pays them in the form of respect,” he remarked. Prime Minister Kakar said that those who were trying to create chaos in the name of religion were actually miscalculating and misreading. “This is a clear message. They can fight for a limited time, but not for long. They are miscalculating and misreading whom they are faced with. We are not afraid of suicide attackers,” he said.
Referring to the rescue operation of trapped eight passengers of a cable car in Battagram, the prime minister said the country’s infrastructure was becoming a threat to human lives. “We were overwhelmingly over the moon as we heard the rescue of the last kid… We will celebrate it as it gave us an opportunity to unify us,” he commented and appreciated the rescuers for the way they rescued the kids and children for the way they controlled their nerves in a heroic way. He said the defense institutions did not only face challenges on external fronts but also take a lead role in crisis management. The prime minister also asked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other relevant departments to improve their performance.
Kakar for collective efforts to take forward economic journey, transform nation: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has called for collective efforts to transform the 250 million nation of Pakistan through collective efforts by taking forward the economic journey.
He addressing the members of the business community during his visit, assured them that the government would do the maximum possible for the uplift of the business community as they were the engine of economic growth. He said the $6 trillion natural deposits in Balochistan did not reflect in the condition of the people living there.
The nation living on the Indus Basin facing food insecurity manifested the collective incompetence, he added. The prime minister said the caretaker government would resolve all of the issues confronting the business community within its capacity.
He said the caretaker government had a very limited mandate to assist in elections, run day-to-day governance issues, and follow the international commitment till the new parliament. He said the caretaker setup was becoming a source of peaceful transition. Calling Karachi, Karachiites and the business community a “grace of the nation”, the prime minister said Pakistan could not survive sans their contribution.
Prime Minister Anwaar said the provision of low-cost electricity was inevitable for industrialization as the existing reserves of natural gas were insufficient to support the industry’s needs. Emphasizing the need for skilled human resources, the prime minister also mentioned the issues of structural challenges and business attitudes facing the goods and services sector.
He said it would take some time to transform old business practices into corporate culture. “I want to reassure you that we will transform. We will bring optimism. We will do it collectively. Let’s start listening to each other. We will listen to you and you should listen to the state,” he asked the business community. Rubbishing the notions of brain drain, the prime minister said in the past, India also faced the same issue but the same people returned to their homeland as an asset.
Exemplifying the remarkable distinction achieved by the doctors of Pakistani origin in the United States, he said the overseas Pakistanis always rescued the country whenever it faced the crisis of foreign exchange. He advised businessmen to adopt the best business practices without giving up the larger good for petty interests. “Let us discover the Pakistani dream. Let us discover the Pakistani branding,” he remarked. He called for devising a mechanism for tax reforms, low-cost power, foreign exchange issues, and international agreements and assured the government would make all-out efforts to do the doable.
The prime minister lauded the services of Saylani Foundation for carrying out the responsibilities of food and human resources which otherwise was the responsibility of the state. “If Saylani can do it, why can’t the state of Pakistan do it with huge machinery?” he questioned.
Premier for making climate change part of every discourse: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq urged all the political parties and intelligentsia to take climate change as a national cause and make it part of every discourse.
“The climate change advocacy should be taken as a national cause. I request all the political parties, intelligentsia and civil society to make the climate change part of every discourse,” the prime minister said addressing the launching ceremony of the tree plantation drive here. He said Pakistan faced the consequences in the form of floods last year despite just one percent of its contribution towards the mismanagement of climate change.
He said it was high time the country contributed to mitigating the ills done to climate change and urged the global community to play its part by providing the required support in resources and attention. He said unfortunately Islamic beliefs had been confined to just worship which, otherwise, was just one aspect. Islam also preached human rights as well as the protection of natural habitats, he added.
Calling the abuse of natural habitat a denial of blessing and a crime, he viewed that intervention and rearrangement of climate change disturbed the Nature’s soul which resulted in natural calamities like floods and tsunamis. “The natural disasters are the expression of the Nature’s discomfort,” he remarked.
PM assures resolution of issues facing Karachi business community: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar assured that the interim government would make maximum efforts to address the issues faced by the business community of Karachi.
The prime minister, talking to the businessmen coming from the small and medium enterprises, said keeping in view the limited time and mandate, the caretaker government would put in all-out efforts to make a beginning for a new Karachi and Pakistan. He said Karachi, once a “romance” and vacation destination for the people of Balochistan lost its grandeur and suffered from economic and social issues.
He said the Sindh capital used to be home to multiple ethnicities and cultures representing the whole of Pakistan. He said the interim government would strive to revive the Pakistan which Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal had dreamed of.
He said considering the poor treatment of minorities in the neighboring country, the people of Pakistan should be thankful for the foresightedness of Quaid-e-Azam who had struggled for a separate homeland. The prime minister said mutual respect, observance of rights and obedience of the Quranic teachings could help resolve almost 92% of the issues confronting the country. He assured the business community that the Sindh chief secretary and other government machinery would keep them on board for formulating a mechanism to resolve their issues.
PPP delegation calls on prime minister: A delegation comprising the leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) called on Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar here. The members of the delegation apprised the prime minister of the problems confronting Sindh particularly Karachi.
The delegation consisted of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Qaim Ali Shah, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Saeed Ghani. The prime minister assured the delegation that his government would utilise maximum resources for early resolution of the issues.