ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi on Saturday criticized the media coverage of Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Kakar’s interaction with senior journalists a day earlier, saying at no point did the PM play down the problem of inflated electricity bills or described people’s grievances against them as a “non-issue.”
The prime minister invited a group of renowned print and television journalists on Friday to answer questions about the ongoing political and economic challenges facing the country. During the conversation, he was asked about the street protests involving traders and ordinary citizens due to the rising power tariffs and how his administration would deal with it if it led to the breakdown of law.
While Kakar maintained it was not causing a serious law and order situation, he recognized that it was a serious issue that needed to be addressed. Some media outlets paraphrased his answer and said that the PM called it a non-issue which was raised by political parties ahead of the general elections to benefit their campaigns.
“When the prime minister was asked if the situation created by the electricity bills was leading to anarchy in the country, he denied that it was the case,” Solangi said. “But he never said that the problem caused by electricity bills to ordinary people was a non-issue.”
He added the prime minister had clearly highlighted the genesis of the problem while pointing out that his administration was in conversation with the stakeholders and moving toward its resolution.
Solangi criticized news outlets that claimed that Kakar was not taking the issue of electricity bills seriously, asking them not to misreport statements of government functionaries and help create clarity on issues.
Pakistani traders shut down their businesses on Saturday while seeking relief from rising power and fuel costs. However, the government says it is in an International Monetary Fund program and needs to abide by all the preconditions — including those related to market-based system — imposed by the international lender.