KARACHI: Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that if the Constitution Amendment Bill 2017 pertaining to the fresh delimitation of constituencies is not passed soon, the conspiracy to postpone the elections would succeed.

The minister, who was talking to reporters after inaugurating the Executive Passport office in Clifton here on Tuesday, said that enemies of Pakistan’s progress wanted political instability in the country.

He hoped that democratic forces would join hands for the country’s development and all institutions would extend full cooperation to put the country on the road to progress and prosperity.

In response to a question, the minister said the election commission needed five to six months for delimitation of constituencies.

He said that the government had succeeded in restoration of peace in Karachi during the last four years and strengthened the economy, adding that no one would be allowed to disrupt peace in the metropolis.

Says ‘designs to delay polls’ will succeed if amendment bill not passed

Answering a question about an accountability court’s decision in which former federal minister Ishaq Dar had been declared an absconder, Mr Iqbal said Mr Dar was a gentleman who had put the devastated economy of the country on the road to progress and served the country with the best of his abilities.

The interior minister said that there was no plan to impose ban on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and any other democratic party. MQM-Pakistan is a democratic party and has a role in the country. But, he added, there was a lot of evidence against MQM-London members and the law would take its course.

He said the government was in touch with foreign countries to hand­over people involved in cases in Pakistan to the country.

Mr Iqbal said Karachi was the hub of Pakistan’s economy and the federal government had initiated a series of development projects, adding that the government was providing funds for execution of the Metro Bus and water projects.

He said the Karachi circular railway had been made part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2017