ISLAMABAD, Dec 01 (APP): Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Friday said the government was committed to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
Talking to a private television channel in a current affairs programme, the minister said the caretaker government would fulfill its legal and constitutional responsibilities by providing financial and administrative assistance as well as security to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conducting the elections.
Rejecting rumours about the delay in elections, he said the ECP had already released the final lists of constituencies after completing the delimitation exercise across the country.
Solangi said conditions and environment were conducive to hold the elections in the country. “All political parties will be given 54 days for their election campaign,” he added.
He said the caretaker government wanted the country to be led by its representatives in accordance with the law and constitution. It was clearly stated in the preamble of the Constitution that the country would be run by elected representatives.
On February 8, the people of Pakistan would make their decision that who would lead them, he added.
“If any political party faces any injustice, they have the right to file a complaint,” he said, adding all the state institutions were working freely in the country.
To a query, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf freely holding its conventions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“No minister of the caretaker government or any of their close relative would contest the election,” the minister categorically stated.
To another query, he said the caretaker government was mandated to assist the ECP for holding elections in accordance with law and the Constitution.
He said the results of elections would not be monitored by the independent observers only but also by the media which would be playing a crucial role in this regard.
Ruling out any chances of rigging in the upcoming elections, he said over 150 million people with mobile phones in the country were nothing less than a broadcaster.
He said the European Union had issued its final report on 2018 election results that detailed irregularities in the polls.
The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was established during the tenure of the previous government, the minister said, adding the initiative would continue to pay dividends in future.
The SIFC had full legal and constitutional cover, he said in response to another query.
