ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Tuesday the government will extend all kinds of support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in the country, and ensure all necessary resources.
He was talking to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, who called on him here on Tuesday.
The CEC briefed the interim prime minister on preparations to hold the general elections.
Raja informed Kakar that lists of polling stations and polling staff had been prepared. He said the process of updating electoral lists is in the final phases and they will soon be dispatched to all respective districts.
The caretaker PM assured the CEC of the interim government’s all-out support for funds and security for the elections. Raja invited Kakar to visit the ECP.
Meanwhile, talking to his Special Representative for Religious Harmony and Pakistan Diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries, Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, the caretaker prime minister stressed that the international community should play an urgent role in stopping Israel’s aggression against Palestinians.
Both held detailed discussions on the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and denounced the genocide and atrocities against innocent Palestinians in Gaza by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, the caretaker prime minister will leave for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, today (Wednesday) on a two-day official visit to attend the 16th Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) summit to be held on November 8 and 9.
Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said the government hopes to conclude a deal by December for Saudi Arabia to buy stakes in Reko Diq, one of the world’s biggest gold and copper mining projects.
“We are quite excited at the Saudi offer, and we would be very much encouraging their participation, not just in this project but otherwise also,” the interim PM said in an interview with Arab News.
“It is the negotiation part, which is happening between the three parties, and let’s see what sort of outcome comes of that.”
In the interview, Kakar expressed the hope that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would help bring in over $60 billion investment to Pakistan in the next five years.
Kakar said the SIFC would serve as a “one-window operation” to address any concerns of foreign investors.
“Two or three areas have already been addressed, like repatriation of dollars, which is the demand of any FDI [foreign direct investment] entity, [that] it’s insured, it’s legally protected,” he said.
“Secondly, the bureaucratic red-tapism has also been addressed, the one-window opportunity on the platform of SIFC is primarily being designed for this purpose, that we need to cut off all these bureaucratic hurdles and rationalise the entire process of allowing and giving permission to any investment from outside within 15 days.”
He said a dispute resolution mechanism had been agreed under the SIFC platform. “It’s quite encouraging and favourable, which is acceptable to all the outside parties … The dispute resolution mechanism has been addressed.”
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