Daily Times

Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday rejected the impression that he is “exceeding his mandate”, reiterating that his government’s one and only mandate is to assist the forthcoming general elections.

“We have limited time, and our duty lies in assisting the electoral process. Some believe I am exceeding this mandate, but I remind them that, besides being prime minister, I am also a citizen with the right to express my opinion,” he said during a ceremony in Islamabad to appreciate SSG commandos and locals who participated in a daring operation to rescue eight schoolchildren and a teacher stranded midair on a 600 feet high chairlift in Allai area of Battagram.

The prime minister said that the paramount duty of the state encompassed providing quality healthcare and education, and an atmosphere for a dignified life.

Referring to the martyrdom of security personnel in South Waziristan, the prime minister said that those trying to obstruct the State’s functioning through their ill intentions must remove their misunderstanding. He reiterated that the nation would never forget the sacrifices of the martyrs of the war against terrorism, including politicians, police services, Pakistan Army, journalists, PAF (Pakistan Air Force), and common citizens. “This is our home. We know how to run it,” he remarked. The prime minister said the pains of the terror victims’ families could not be expressed in words.

He said the salaries being given to the security forces personnel were just meant to suffice their needs as their sacrifices could only be recognized through respect. “We revere them. We respect them,” he commented. Prime Minister Kakar reassured that the state affairs were in the hands of highly capable individuals. The caretaker setup had limited time and mandate to facilitate the forthcoming general elections, he added. Earlier, the prime minister also distributed commendation certificates among the security forces personnel as well as the local experts who took part in the rescue operation. The rescued children, who also attended the event, were also given souvenirs. In his address, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt. General Inam Haider Malik said the effective coordination among all relevant departments led to the success of the difficult operation.

He said the safety audit of all the cable cars in the region had been ordered and a report would be presented to the prime minister. He, however, emphasised the capacity building of the local rescue departments to deal with such emergency situations, which, he said, was also being worked out. Caretaker federal ministers Murtaza Solangi, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jamal Shah, Sarfaraz Bugti, Anwar Ali Hyder, Ijaz Gohar and Madad Ali Sindhi also attended the ceremony.