ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi said on Friday it was the responsibility of the country’s election commission to hold national polls, adding the interim administration of Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was only there to facilitate process.
Solangi’s statement came during a news conference in Islamabad that was held after the first meeting of the federal caretaker cabinet earlier today.
Kakar interim government took over the reins of power after the dissolution of national and two provincial assemblies last week. It is required to hold general elections within 90 days, though the national polls are expected to get delayed since the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has to redraw hundreds of national and provincial constituencies after the previous administration of Shehbaz Sharif endorsed the results of a digital census carried out in April this year.
“The caretaker government has got nothing to do with the elections,” the caretaker information minister told the media. “It is the job of the election commission and we will fully assist them in holding free and fair polls.”
He expressed his ignorance if the national elections would be delayed until February due to the delimitation of constituencies.
“We don’t know if elections will be held within 90 days or delayed,” he said. “The election commission will take a decision on that.”
However, he added the country “will be run by the elected representatives of the public.”
Solangi noted the matter of holding of the national elections within the shortest timeframe was already pending in courts for adjudication since some lawyers and former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had challenged the decision of Council of Common Interests (CCI) to approve the results of the digital census.
“We will be following the orders of courts and the ECP decision on the polls,” he said. “We will not stay in our positions even a single day [beyond that].”
Earlier, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar chaired the maiden cabinet meeting in Islamabad to discuss important political and economic issues with the interim ministers.
He promised to take stern action against those involved in attacks on the Christian community in Jaranwala city of Faisalabad district and said he was aware that his administration was in the office for limited time and did not have “perpetual mandate.”
