ISLAMABAD:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday congratulated Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and said that Washington would continue to support Pakistan’s efforts for economic prosperity.
“Congratulations to new Pakistan Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. As Pakistan prepares for free and fair elections, in accordance with its constitution and the rights of freedom of speech and assembly, we will continue to advance our shared commitment to economic prosperity,” Blinken said in a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Congratulations to new Pakistan Interim Prime Minister @anwaar_kakar. As Pakistan prepares for free and fair elections, in accordance with its constitution and the rights to freedom of speech and assembly, we will continue to advance our shared commitment to economic prosperity.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 16, 2023
Blinken has recently been quite active in commenting on the developments in Pakistan as he previously also issued a statement after Pakistan managed to secure a standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The US has said its ties with Pakistan centre on the democratic principles and rule of law and those would continue to guide the future cooperation between the two countries.
Observers interpret this as an indication that the Biden administration wants no delay in the parliamentary elections in Pakistan. As per the Constitution, elections are supposed to take place within 90 days. However, there remains uncertainty among the populace regarding the timely occurrence of these elections.
Read more: 16 names shortlisted for cabinet posts
One of the key factors which could lead to a delay is the new census results approved by the PDM government during its last week in office.
The approval meant that elections will have to take place under the new census. For this purpose, the Election Commission of Pakistan will have to redraw the constituencies. The entire exercise may take up to four months.
The former opposition leader in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz in one of the interviews claimed that polls will take place in February next year.
Most powerful interim government
Kakar was sworn in on Monday as the prime minister to head a caretaker government that will oversee parliamentary elections during the country’s most challenging period in the economic field.
The country is set to witness its most empowered interim setup ever with Kakar taking the reins as the eighth interim premier as the country prepares to navigate through a transitional period amid economic and political crises.
Kakar’s appointment comes under highly favourable circumstances, granting him unprecedented authority in the position.
Read more: Kakar vows to complete IMF programme
Traditionally, the primary responsibility of the caretaker government has been to manage the day-to-day affairs of the country until the newly elected government assumes power. However, the interim government was empowered to take the role of economic stewardship after a joint parliamentary session on July 26 this year amended Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017.
The amendment now allows the caretaker government to exercise unusual powers pertaining to ongoing projects, and programmes, and even make crucial policy decisions, in addition to handling the regular affairs of the state.
As the country heads towards an interim government, it may not be a usual transitional government due to unprecedented political and economic challenges.
Above all, the interim government will also have to ensure compliance with the ongoing IMF programme. It is imperative, however, to take care of the commitments and assurances that the government has given to the IMF during the last review.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431005/blinken-congratulates-kakar-assures-support-for-economic-prosperity
