ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday said the committee constituted over formation of caretaker setup, will hold consultations with all political forces including coalition partners and opposition parties.

While replying to questions of media representatives on the occasion of press briefing to share the decisions of the cabinet, he said that holding elections for national and provincial assemblies on same day would be economically viable, adding that law and order situation would be easier to maintain this way.

However, he said that input of the provinces was vital in this connection.

The information minister said that present assemblies will be remembered for record legislation. He said that he was happy because the assemblies were going to complete their terms for the first time in the history of the country and all political forces played pivotal role in this regard.

To a question, the minister said that there was no denying the fact that the people of Pakistan were facing difficulties due to shortage of gas and electricity but increase in demand of energy resulted in the present shortage.

However, he said the present government has taken steps for overcoming this shortage through long term measures. In this connection, he mentioned, the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project, Bhasha dam, Boonji dam, Neelam Jhelum Hydel Project and Kohala dam projects.

Kaira said the federal cabinet has now formally given approval for construction of IP gas pipeline and work on the project will commence soon.

To a question about accountability bill, he said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) wanted to enforce its view point, however, he said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led coalition government believes in consensus.

Assemblies were duty bound to legislation till their last day of working and no law bars them from do so at the fag end of their tenure, the information minister told a questioner.

Commenting on creation of new provinces, he said the parliamentary commission on the issue has submitted its report to the speaker National Assembly and it will be presented before the cabinet in due course of time.

About the letter written by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to the president, he said the matter was sub-judice so, he could not comment on it.