“Regarding the claims of working for the welfare and prosperity of the people by the caretaker Prime Minister, it begs the question of which country’s citizens they are referring to, as during the past 4 months, they have done nothing for the welfare and prosperity of Pakistanis. If they have done anything in this regard, then please name one initiative that has provided relief to the poor people of this country.”
According to the latest report from the statistics department, there was a 1.8% increase in inflation in January. The report indicates that inflation was 30.2% in urban areas and 25.7% in rural areas last month. The average inflation rate from July to January remained at 28.73%. Just a few days before his resignation, the outgoing Prime Minister, in a surprising move, approved significant increases in medicine prices, along with all possible measures during his 4-month tenure, even depriving sick citizens of affordable food. He also claimed, “We will continue to work for the welfare of the people.” It can be questioned whether such decisions could have been postponed for a few days to allow the incoming government to decide on them, and whether the decision to increase or not increase medicine prices could not have been left to the elected government. The haste shown by the outgoing Prime Minister in signing off on the summary of price increases suggests that these decisions were made in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, as the amount of kickbacks is evident from the signatures without any further investigation.
A caretaker government is a temporary administration that is formed to ensure a smooth transition of power from one elected government to another. The term of a caretaker government is limited to 60-90 days, depending on whether the term of the legislature expires or is prematurely dissolved. In 2013 the apex court held that the caretaker government had limited powers and authority, and could not make major policy decisions, appointments, transfers, or promotions that would affect the future elected government. On July 26, 2023, the joint session of Parliament proposed over 54 amendments to the 2017 Act including amendments to Section 230. The amendments were proposed by the ruling PML-N, which claimed that they were necessary to protect the economic interests of Pakistan and to ensure the continuity of ongoing projects and agreements. While there was consensus on all other clauses, subclauses relating to changes in Section 230 prompted controversy and discussion in the parliament. The concerns raised by allies and opposition members led to these clauses being reviewed. Despite the ‘review’, the amendments remain a controversial topic as opposition parties and civil society accuse the government of trying to interfere in the electoral process and extend its influence beyond its constitutional mandate.
Regarding the claims of working for the welfare and prosperity of the people by the outgoing Prime Minister, it begs the question of which country’s citizens they are referring to, as during the past 4 months, they have done nothing for the welfare and prosperity of Pakistanis. If they have done anything in this regard, then please name one initiative that has provided relief to the poor people of this country.
We believe that the outgoing Prime Minister should reconsider the decision to increase medicine prices and compel pharmaceutical institutions to reduce prices instead of increasing them, as it is a fact that medicine prices in Pakistan are much higher compared to neighbouring countries. Instead of making such anti-people decisions, the outgoing Prime Minister should focus on packing up, because now it will be up to the discretion of the incoming government to decide whether to allow increases in medicine prices or to adopt alternative methods to ensure the provision of medicines to the poor people of this country at affordable prices, as the priority of the incoming government will be to relieve the people from inflation and control inflation.
Controlling inflation and stabilizing the economy is not a difficult task if anyone wants to do it, but it requires courage, because in the first phase, it will be necessary to end the extravagance of the elite, which amounts to $17 billion. If these extravagances are eliminated, then there will be a net saving of less than $17 billion, after which the IMF or any other entity will not need to extend their hands to fulfill their imposed conditions, and the people will not need to suffer in the grindstone of inflation. Federal and provincial governments need to create a solid mechanism for this purpose, which will enable two to four classes of the poor to afford food in time of need. At present, the class living below the poverty line economically cannot express their suffering in words. If the government cannot control inflation in these circumstances, it will be difficult to maintain the physical and spiritual relationship of extremely poor people, and there will be anxiety among the people at the grassroots level due to inflation, and it will become difficult for those who already have weak purchasing power to fulfill the necessities of life. The restlessness among the people is increasing with each passing day, and if the incoming government does not control it, there is a risk that the government and the ruling party will suffer severe damage to their popularity.