DAVOS: Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister, has confirmed that general elections will be held on the 8th of next month.
In an exclusive interview with CNBC on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, he stated that this is a constitutional obligation and that everyone in the country is committed to the specific date.
He stated that the people of Pakistan will have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote and elect a government for the next five years. He claimed that the elections will result in a stable government, which will translate into economic stability.
When asked about the economy, the prime minister stated that the IMF Board has approved a second tranche for the country. He claimed it had been a priority.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar stated that they will also produce a white paper on the caretaker government’s performance over the previous four to five months.
The prime minister stated that his government has implemented a new taxation program. He claimed that the government went on an aggressive privatization frenzy and slashed governmental expenditures. Kakar, the Prime Minister, remarked, “We are also engaging with the provinces so that they can also rationalise their spending.”
In response to a question, the caretaker prime minister stressed the importance of a regional approach to dealing with the terrorist threat.
“We need to enhance the capacity of counter terrorism,” he went on to say. He stated that Pakistan was a mid-sized power, and its true potential and significance needed to be recognized.
When asked about relations with China, Kakar stated that Pakistan maintains strategically tight links with Beijing. He stated, “No matter what happens in the region or elsewhere, nothing can harm our relationship with China.
