We will try to ensure financial discipline: caretaker PM Kakar addresses maiden cabinet meeting

  • Says he is proud to have 'one of the best teams', aware that 'we do not have a perpetual mandate to serve nation'
Updated 18 Aug, 2023

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Friday that the interim set-up will try to ensure financial discipline.

Addressing the maiden meeting of the newly-inducted 24-member interim cabinet, Kakar said he was “proud” to have “one of the best teams”.

President Alvi administers oath to caretaker PM Kakar’s cabinet

“I am hopeful that Almighty Allah will enable us to lead and steer this nation in this interim period,” he said.

“I am well aware that we are here for an allocated time. We do not have a perpetual mandate to serve this nation,” he added.

He said that while the country faces huge economic challenges, his team “will try to ensure financial discipline”.

“We have a sense of sanctity of taxpayers’ money, on which we are having this meeting and consuming this water and tea.”

Kakar further said that the people of the country paid taxes so that the government could deliver and provide a secure environment for them.

“So that utmost duty — maybe it is for a month, two, three or whatever the allocated time is — we will demonstrate not through our words but through our actions.”

The caretaker PM added the interim set-up will try to lay foundations in order to have continuation of national and international commitments made by previous governments.

“We will try to support new initiatives, whatever the law and Constitution allow us to do,” the premier said, specifically mentioning the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

On Thursday, President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to members of caretaker PM’s cabinet.

The cabinet includes Dr Shamshad Akhtar, who has been given the portfolio of finance, while Dr Gohar Ejaz has become caretaker minister for commerce and industry.

Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Sarfraz Bugti has been given charge of interim interior minister.

Journalist Murtaza Solangi has become the information minister and former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani has been sworn in as foreign minister in the caretaker cabinet.

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