Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro in his opening remarks at the last Caretaker Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister Secretariat on Saturday said that the caretaker government had fulfilled its prime responsibility of facilitating the Election Commission of Pakistan in holding of free, fair and transparent elections.
He thanked Almighty Allah for helping the interim government in discharging the national obligation according to its best abilities and in accordance with the expectations of the people of the country.
He said: "The fairness of the election process was monitored by thousands of international observers and had been commended both at home and abroad. The valuable services and co-operation rendered by all government institutions in achieving this objective deserved to be appreciated, particularly the security forces and the provincial governments. The coming generations would always remember the performance of the caretaker government in achieving the national goal of moving steadily towards democracy and progress, he added.
He said that while the caretaker government remained focused on its primary objective of holding free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections, it did not hesitate in taking difficult and hard decisions on other important issues of national interest. The caretaker government, he added, took the best possible decisions keeping in view national interests.
The interim government, he said, could have easily brushed aside the problems under the carpet or could have deferred these for the next government but it did not shrug responsibility to confront the challenges. All the issues were discussed, debated and deliberated upon in the Cabinet, Ecnec, ECC and other high level forums and the government took decisions in the best interests of the country.
The Prime Minister said that, coupled with acts of terrorism, the country was in the grip of multiple crises; like wheat and energy shortage. The government moved quickly and a Federal Food Committee was established to monitor the situation of wheat shortage in the country and was given powers to take strict action against hoarders and smugglers, he said.
The food supply chain to the Utility Stores, he added, was made more efficient and new outlets were opened in remote areas to facilitate the public. The government launched 'Bachat Card' scheme through Utility Stores Corporation to provide relief to the low income people to be able to buy essential food items at 25 percent subsidised rates.
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order situation before, during and after the elections. He also appreciated the arrangements made by the Ministry of Religious Affairs for Hajis to perform Haj in a seamless manner.
On the issue of energy crisis, he said that the crisis deepened from the day the interim government took over. Realising the gravity of the situation, he said, the government took many short- and long-term measures. New power projects like Neelum-Jhelum Hydro power project, power transmission enhancement project and Thar coal power project, he said, were initiated besides accelerating many pending projects to be completed ahead of time.
The Prime Minister said that the government also took a number of decisions on conservation of energy as well, and a good number of projects were approved. These decisions encompassed setting up new energy projects and increasing the efficiency of the existing ones. Decisions regarding efficient use of energy, he said, was the hallmark of the caretaker government, and Insha Allah it will bear fruit in the near future. He also emphasised on the importance of Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Power project which, he said, would not only generate an additional electricity of 968 MW but would also establish Pakistan's water rights as per Indus Water Treaty.
Alternative resource of energy, Soomro said, was another sector where the caretaker government took a number of decisions to ensure availability of energy through diversified means. This, he said, would ensure both provisions of cheap energy and bridge the energy demand and supply gap.
The Prime Minister thanked all his Cabinet colleagues, government officers serving in different organisations and the people of the country for their co-operation and support in helping the caretaker government to complete the tasks assigned to it under the Constitution.
Earlier, Minister for Inter-provincial co-ordination Dr Mohammed Amjad presented a booklet to the Prime Minister documenting the efforts of the caretaker government for the betterment of the people. This booklet, he said, would serve as a record and help the future government to move forward in various fields of national activities. The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of Dr Amjad and his team in preparing this document.