The caretaker government was set up in November last year after the National and provincial assemblies stood dissolved on the completion of their constitutional tenure of five years. The newly inducted caretaker ministers have so far remained more concerned about making the election arrangements and as a result, prices of daily-use items like flour, cooking oil and pulses have shot up. To the disappointment of the people, the caretaker government miserably failed to check hoarders’ activities who fleeced the public and made millions of rupees overnight.
Now the members of the caretaker government are issuing statements that punitive action will be taken against the hoarders and profiteers. The task seems to be too tall for them as most hoarders have connections in the corridors of power. If the caretaker ministers do not act immediately to ease people’s miseries, Pakistanis are likely to lose what little interest they have in the forthcoming polls. President Musharraf has repeatedly said that the polls will be held in a free, fair and transparent manner, but he should also pay heed to the problems of a common man who is losing interest in the election process due to high inflation and the scarcity of daily use items.