PM Kakar holds past agreements of electricity responsible for present crisis
#caretakergovernment #kelectric #bakhabarsavera
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00:00 This is just the beginning.
00:01 First of all, your religious issues,
00:03 - issues that are common... - Permanent.
00:05 - Permanent issues. - Permanent issues.
00:08 Until recently, we used to read about it on the walls.
00:12 - Was it something else? - Don't talk about permanent issues.
00:14 - It's morning, Ashfaq. - Okay.
00:17 - Please. - I'm not talking.
00:18 - Okay, positive. - The smart ones, especially those in Karachi,
00:20 - must have understood. - As positive as we can be,
00:24 - reality is already making it difficult. - But this issue is permanent now.
00:28 - Chronic. - This chronic issue has become a permanent issue.
00:31 Electricity bills.
00:33 The people had their eyes on it.
00:35 The Prime Minister said he would tell us in 48 hours.
00:37 48 hours have passed, but no decision has been made.
00:40 What happened?
00:41 The Minister of Energy, regarding the electricity bills,
00:43 he said that the extra electricity bills are our...
00:48 He said that we are not responsible for it.
00:51 The previous government made such agreements.
00:54 Expensive IPPs and projects for electricity,
00:57 all of them were made expensive.
00:59 He told us his own story, Ashfaq.
01:01 He said that when he saw his electricity bill,
01:04 he lost his senses.
01:05 Then he thought he would become the Prime Minister.
01:07 Anyway.
01:08 He didn't know.
01:10 He said that he didn't know he would become the Prime Minister.
01:15 So, he told me.
01:16 He also talked about foreign policy.
01:19 He said that the election decision will be made by the Election Commission.
01:24 He also said that he thought the Taliban would be strong for Pakistan.
01:28 But the situation is getting worse.
01:30 The weapons that were left in the US are being misused.
01:33 It is seen in the whole region.
01:35 We should see who will get the power of the US and NATO.
01:38 Anyway, what did the Prime Minister say about electricity?
01:44 Look at this.
01:45 He gave this interview.
01:48 I was talking to Sadaf when the Prime Minister was talking.
01:53 Two years ago, we remember that the electricity bill was not this high.
01:57 It was high, but the situation when you are flying up,
02:02 this was not the situation two years ago.
02:04 In the hot months, the electricity bill was high.
02:08 I think the AC was not working.
02:10 -No, I am talking about that time. -Yes.
02:12 He was worried at that time.
02:14 But now, these things are happening suddenly, it is very concerning.
02:18 There are protests happening all over the country.
02:22 The day before yesterday, in Attock, Peshawar, Islamabad, Shahraat, Chishtian,
02:24 Milsi, Jackobabad and Muzaffarabad,
02:27 the President of the Islamic Jamaat said that
02:29 if the electricity bill is not reduced,
02:31 he will protest in all four provinces at the Governor's House
02:34 and will join with the traders and transporters to jam the wheels.
02:37 So, let's talk about the current situation.
02:41 Islamabad Bureau Chief, Khawar Ghumman is with us.
02:44 Khawar, good morning to you.
02:46 The problem of electricity is not being solved.
02:50 It has been repeatedly said that a solution will be found in 48 hours.
02:53 Is there any solution on the cards?
02:56 What updates do you have?
02:58 The latest news that we are getting is that
03:01 the consumers of 200 to 300 units
03:05 may be given a relief of Rs. 3000.
03:11 But the problem is still there.
03:14 You have made a deal with IMF.
03:17 And under that agreement, you must have seen that
03:20 the day before, the Prime Minister, Mr. Kakar,
03:24 promised that we will give relief.
03:26 That same night, you increased the prices of petrol and diesel.
03:31 And you increased the prices according to the agreement.
03:38 Obviously, the current economic situation of the country
03:42 cannot be taken at risk.
03:45 It is not possible to go against the promise of IMF.
03:51 They have sent a proposal to IMF
03:55 to stagger the bill in the coming days.
03:58 The bill that has been announced,
04:00 it should be spread over the next six months
04:03 so that it is mixed with every bill.
04:06 But there is an argument that
04:08 it means that the bills will increase in the coming months.
04:11 Obviously, you will increase the prices and then add this to that.
04:15 So, it is a matter of time.
04:18 I don't understand.
04:19 Obviously, there is no solution.
04:22 I would like to clarify that
04:23 does IMF specifically say that
04:25 this should be done on electricity bills?
04:28 Because IMF does not talk about free petrol,
04:32 free units,
04:33 the number of cars in the government's lakhs,
04:36 the expenses of billions of rupees.
04:39 It does not talk about these things.
04:41 It does not talk about tax exemptions
04:43 on salaries and pensions.
04:45 I just want to know this.
04:47 Secondly, what should the public do?
04:54 How can the public peacefully protest?
04:57 What can they do?
04:59 Look, this is your first question.
05:01 Because there is an institution that has to give you money.
05:04 They know that after 30 years,
05:07 the source of income is one every week and every month.
05:13 So, they will say that
05:14 we want a share in the income you are getting.
05:17 You have to write this down.
05:19 So, you write it down.
05:21 Obviously, if someone has to take back the money
05:23 that you have been given,
05:26 they will not take it from anywhere.
05:29 You have only one source
05:30 through which you can collect the money.
05:32 You must have seen that
05:33 there are more than one type of taxes.
05:36 We were unfortunately forced to increase the tax net.
05:39 Our country is one of the few countries in the world
05:44 where the tax to GDP ratio is 8 to 9%.
05:48 It is the lowest.
05:50 There are problems.
05:51 Obviously, we have not increased the tax net.
05:53 There are different sectors for taxation.
05:57 There is the real estate sector,
05:59 there is the agriculture sector,
06:00 and there are many other sectors.
06:02 Along with that, your question is answered.
06:06 The real problem is not this.
06:07 The real problem is that
06:09 on the basis of annual income,
06:11 the electricity theft that you do,
06:13 we are among those countries
06:15 where the percentage of line losses,
06:18 19-20%, is the highest in our country.
06:21 So, there are many problems.
06:23 Look, what does IMF say?
06:25 IMF says that you have to have such conditions
06:30 and also, it says that you have to do reforms.
06:33 I have covered two or three governments as a reporter.
06:38 Every government has its own list of privatizations.
06:42 It says that all these discos will be included in it,
06:45 all the companies that produce electricity
06:47 and distribute electricity.
06:50 We will privatize them.
06:52 And all over the world,
06:53 in any country,
06:55 from transportation to electricity production,
06:59 everything is privatized.
07:00 The government regulates
07:02 and it is not fair to the consumers.
07:04 But the problem is that,
07:06 now we have a government under control.
07:08 So, they have a limited scope.
07:10 Do you think that the protests that are taking place
07:12 will increase in numbers in the future?
07:15 When a group like the Islamic Jamaat
07:18 says that they will sit in front of the Governor's House
07:20 and protest in all four directions,
07:22 do you think that this will have an impact?
07:24 The Prime Minister is saying that
07:25 we don't care about criticism.
07:28 Look, our Prime Minister,
07:31 Mr. Anwarul Haqqaqar, is an innocent man.
07:33 He really shouldn't care.
07:34 He is not responsible for anyone.
07:37 He has to be held accountable.
07:40 Look, we have seen the same way all over the world.
07:44 Since we are a very diverse country,
07:46 we adopt different ways.
07:49 In every country in the world,
07:51 if a government fails,
07:53 its economic policies,
07:55 or otherwise there is a big crisis,
07:57 recently you saw on the issue of Brexit,
07:59 the majority of the British people were in Cameroon.
08:02 They went back to the people and said,
08:03 "I have made this decision.
08:05 Whether it is good or bad,
08:06 the people have told us again
08:08 which political party we should give power to."
08:11 So, I think that the Islamic Jamaat
08:14 and all the other political parties,
08:16 sorry, the People's Party,
08:18 yesterday I saw Mr. Tarrar saying
08:20 that if we are defeated in the elections,
08:22 we should join Mr. Tehreek-e-Islam.
08:25 So, we should focus on one thing,
08:27 that with the Nigrah government,
08:30 the other political parties should
08:33 have clear and transparent elections in the country.
08:36 The mirror of Pakistan is very clear.
08:38 The right to power should be with the people
08:41 through the elected representatives.
08:44 The political party that has a mandate,
08:48 should know that we are accountable to the people,
08:52 they should make good and bad decisions.
08:54 So, apart from this,
08:55 I don't see any other solution
08:57 that is in the constitution of Pakistan.
09:03 The Nigrah government has a very clear constitution
09:06 that it should run the matter day to day.
09:08 You cannot make long-term policy decisions.
09:10 Suppose you make a decision today,
09:12 after three or four months,
09:14 which you are saying,
09:15 you are giving the dates of the January-February elections.
09:18 If there is an election,
09:20 then you cannot tie the hands and feet of the next government.
09:23 Yes, another thing that the Nigrah government can do,
09:27 is to call the APC,
09:29 APC calls all the political party leaders,
09:32 and they will say that this is the matter,
09:33 this is the decision to be made,
09:35 you should sign it,
09:36 so that tomorrow,
09:38 one of you does not become the Prime Minister,
09:40 and he says that we were not in favour of the Nigrah government.
09:44 Mr. Khawar, one last thing,
09:46 obviously, time is limited,
09:47 but I would like to hear your comment
09:50 on the Nigrah Prime Minister's position.
09:51 Two years ago, the bill came,
09:53 he lost his senses.
09:54 Two years ago, this was not the case.
09:58 As I said, our Nigrah Prime Minister,
10:02 MashaAllah,
10:03 he has a statement on every issue,
10:07 a comment.
10:09 Two years ago, if this was the case,
10:11 then you can imagine,
10:13 the bill that came last month,
10:14 that has made the Pakistanis lose their senses the most.
10:18 If two years ago, they had lost their senses,
10:20 then the counter question on that is not being asked.
10:22 The ones who have no unit are not free.
10:23 No, I mean,
10:25 the counter question on this was being asked,
10:26 two years ago, he had lost his senses.
10:28 Now what?
10:29 You were in the Senate,
10:32 you were a part of a government party,
10:34 so during that time,
10:36 you were being subjected to the rules of the law,
10:41 you were telling people that
10:42 you were being treated unjustly,
10:44 but even now,
10:45 what do you say,
10:46 it is late, it is right,
10:47 if they are understanding that
10:48 the people of this country are in a bad state,
10:50 in light of electricity,
10:52 they are also doing the same,
10:53 that maybe they should come together with the IMF,
10:55 and do something.
10:55 Let's see.
10:56 Let's see what?
10:57 Let's see.
10:58 The consumers,
11:00 at the lower levels,
11:01 they should be given some support.
11:03 Okay.
11:04 These days, everything is based on prayers.
11:06 Absolutely.
11:06 That's it.
11:07 Mr. Saghdar used to do the same.
11:08 Mr. Saghdar gives the same advice.
11:10 Thank you so much,
11:11 Mr. Guman.
11:12 Whenever he was criticized,
11:14 he used to post something on Twitter.
11:16 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]