PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Azam Swati on Monday said his party’s government in the province was prepared to hold local government elections as per schedule and had planned to introduce biometric system to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral exercise.

He was addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club, where dozens of Awami National Party activists from Peshawar’s PK-6 and PK-7 constituencies announced to join PTI.

Parliamentary secretary on environment Haji Fazal Ilahi and PTI provincial general secretary Khalid Masood were also present on the occasion.

Mr Swati said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general would appear before the Supreme Court during the current week to get directives on the holding of local government elections in the province.

He said he was hopeful that the court would give judgment on the matter as it did for Punjab and Sindh.

The PTI leader said his party favoured the ongoing peace process as it didn’t consider use of force solution to conflict and rather believed use of force was to complicate things.

He said military operations didn’t yield positive results during the last one decade and it was time that the government focus on negotiations for restoration of peace sincerely.

Commenting on the provincial cabinet’s reshuffle, Mr Swati said the change had been made after the approval of the central PTI leadership, so nobody in the party could object to it.

When asked about Saudi Arabia giving $1.5 billion to Pakistan as gift, the PTI leader said his party along with all Pakistani nation was much concerned about the ‘mysterious’ development.

He said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar should explain the government’s position on the matter.

About the appearance of former president Pervez Musharraf before the court in a high treason case, Mr Swati said the development was welcome as it would help uphold the supremacy of law and judiciary in the country.