'Govt has started consultation on caretaker set-up'
26 January, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday said the government had started consultation with political parties for formation of the caretaker government. Talking to media after attending a Seeratun Nabi Conference at Allama Iqbal Open University, he said, "The committee constituted by the president had suggested the prime minister to start consultation on caretaker government, which has been started." Regarding the agreement between the government and Tahirul Qadri, he said the government would abide by and implement it. Kaira said the agreement was a matter related to the government and Qadri, and the opposition had nothing to do with it. However, he said, "We would try to convince the opposition to support them in this regard." Kaira said meeting between the government and Qadri was scheduled for January 27 and formalities would be finalised in it. To a question, he said assemblies can work till the end of their tenure. The government can do development work, recruit people, transfer and post government employees till the last date of its tenure. The minister said either their should have been a prior agreement to stop the government from development works four to six months before completion of its term or it should be allowed to do so. Kaira said the government should avoid such works after the issuance of election schedule. To a question, he expressed the hope that all the assemblies would be dissolved simultaneously, though he admitted that the matter fell under the purview of provincial governments. To another question, he said headway could be made on the new provinces after the commission on the matter came up with its recommendations. The minister said speculations on the case of NAB investigator Kamran Faisal should be avoided because it was creating confusion. He said that government has formed a commission under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate his death, and if anyone has any evidence then it should be shared with it. "The issue relates to interrogation and investigation and confusion should not be created on it," Kaira reiterated. Earlier, addressing the gathering, the minister said people had been facing several problems for not applying Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) teachings in their lives. "Moreover, the contradictions between our word and action also add to our worries," he noted. He called for ending discrimination between the contemporary and Islamic knowledge, saying that integration of both would lead society to progress and prosperity. Kaira said some elements had been shedding blood, blowing up girls' schools in the name of Islam in sheer violation of Islamic teachings. He said Muslims need to learn lessons from their past, but not give up endeavour to brighten their present as well as the future. The minister said the Muslims were faced with the ideological confusions after they had abandoned debate on Islam and relevant issues. To a suggestion by Professor Sajidur Rehman, Kaira suggested the management of AIOU and IIU to apply for a non-commercial television channel to promote Islamic teachings, assuring his support to get it approved. The minister said he would try to accomplish the task within the remaining tenure of the incumbent government. Radio Pakistan and PTV would be asked to train the manpower of the proposed channel, he added. End.
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