Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar reiterated on Friday that announcing the election date was not the interim government’s mandate.
He passed similar remarks earlier this week, too, when he said it was for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide election date.
“We have no intention to prolong the tenure of the caretaker government,” he had said in an interview with Geo News.
The ECP has ruled out elections this year, citing the need to delimit constituencies based on the new digital 2023 census results. This has raised concerns about the timing of the polls, as the current government’s term expires in November.
During the presser today, PM Kakar also ruled out announcing a poll date, saying that doing so would be unlawful. He has urged journalists not to ask questions that might tempt him to break the law.
To a question, he said, “If I were to announce elections, I would be engaging in an unlawful act, and as a journalist, you should be aware that if you steer us towards illegal actions and pose questions that might tempt us to break the law, then what should my response be?”
Actions against cross-border smuggling
PM Kakar also stated that an effective management plan is actively being implemented to curb cross-border smuggling. He has also asserted that the government has zero tolerance for those involved in the smuggling industry and that the law will take its course.
He further mentioned that extensive discussions had taken place regarding the Afghan transit trade agreement and the reopening of the Torkham border.
The premier noted that the commerce ministry had taken a lead role, working in collaboration with border management authorities, including customs, to revise policies governing the allowance or restriction of trade items.
Furthermore, the premier dismissed the notion that cracking down on smuggling would deprive the local population along the bordering areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan of their livelihoods. He emphasised that these provinces deserved a legitimate and thriving trade environment, not smuggling.
Asked about the involvement of Afghan refugees involved in cross-border smuggling, Kakar said an effective policy in this regard had been agreed upon.
He categorised Afghans living in Pakistan into three types: those registered with the government, “aliens with no justification to reside”, and those with “identity theft”.
“We will push the [Afghan] aliens back to their country and no one without the visa regime will be allowed to live here,” he asserted.
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