ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday strongly reacted to the caretaker government’s plan to privatise the state-run entities (SOEs), and warned it to focus on holding elections within the 90-day limit instead of indulging itself in unconstitutional and unlawful actions.
PTI spokesman Raoof Hassan said the caretakers’ plan to privatise the SOEs including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is a clear deviation from the constitution, as it does not have the power to take long-term decisions.
He blasted the administration of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar for misusing the taxpayers’ money by going on international tours despite knowing no one takes such prime ministers seriously as they are there only to hold elections.
“Just stop these extravagant world trips, Kakar and instead focus on fulfilling your constitutional responsibility to conduct elections on stipulated timeframe as the constitution and law did not authorise the caretaker government to take long-term decisions, especially privatisation and sale of national institutions,” declared Hassan.
He made it crystal clear to the caretakers that all unconstitutional and unlawful decisions on their part would be resisted tooth nail if PTI comes into power as the sale of SOEs by caretakers – which would last only for 53 days – is in no way justified.
He said that the sovereign guarantees used by the caretaker government for sale would also have no status, as the constitution gave the authority to make such major decisions exclusively to the government elected for five years by the people of the country.
He reminded the caretaker set up that the best interest of the state lies in the complete respect of the constitution and no recipe for development and salvation could succeed without full respect for the constitution and law.
“Article 230 of the Election Act 2017 provides a detailed outline of the responsibilities of the caretaker government, which entrusts the interim set-up with the sole duty of assisting the Election Commission in conducting free, fair, and transparent elections,” he added.
He remarked that the Election Act bounds the caretaker government to remain neutral and limit itself only to day-to-day affairs, preventing it from making decisions on any major issue.
“Since only 53 days are left of the caretaker government’s constitutional term, therefore, it must confine itself within the limits of the law instead of causing irreparable damage to the interests of the country and the nation by overstepping the constitutional limits,” he added.
He made it clear that the nation would never accept any attempt to loot the national institutions mercilessly, adding that any such step would be challenged at the court of law.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023