DUBAI: Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira on Friday said that the upcoming general elections will be held on time and there was no reason to delay them.

Addressing a press conference, he said in the presence of free media, independent judiciary, active political parties and vibrant civil society no one could even think of delaying elections.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), being a political force, believed in continuation of the political process in the country and will never delay elections, said Kaira.

He said that coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) will be transformed in to an electoral alliance in the polls.

Commenting on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) victory in the recent by-polls in Punjab, the minister said popularity of political parties could not be judged by bye-elections as local issues and development projects remain focus of attention during them, adding that during general elections, national issues are the focus.

He said that the PPP had won the seats vacated by the PML-N candidates in recent bye-elections, which included constituencies in Gujranwala, Multan and Vehari.

The minister also clarified that the alliance with the PML-Q was not for only winning elections but for ending politics of confrontation.

To a question, Kaira said that when the PPP came into power in 2008, Pakistan as a state was facing serious challenges and terrorists were in control of Swat and FATA and the international community feared fall of Islamabad to so-called Taliban.

“The PPP-led government has defeated enemies of the country with support of the masses and the armed forces….although the war is not over yet but the back of terrorist organisations have been broken and only their splinter groups are active now,” said the information minister.

Kaira said the PPP government had always tried to bring structural changes in the system as the dictators in the past had deformed the country from a federation to centrist state with the president enjoyed absolute authority.

Commenting on Kalabagh dam issue, he said that it was a political issue and should be settled through ‘politics.’