LAHORE: The Pakistan Democratic Party chief, Mr Nurul Amin, today [Sept 20] asserted that the schedule announced for holding by-elections in East Pakistan was a little premature and if it was adhered to his party would not be in a position to participate in the polls.

He was of the opinion that the polling should talk place at least a month later. … When his attention was drawn to the fact that representatives of some political parties had been included in Dr Malik’s Cabinet and that might affect the impartiality of the coming by-elections, he said: I do not think they would interfere; they should not after all they are members of only a caretaker Government”. … [H]e said that an offer had been made to the PDP to join Dr Malik’s Cabinet … [but] … he could not take a decision as to whether the Party should join it or not.

Asked if he favoured the idea of transfer of power to the provinces of West Pakistan on the pattern of East Pakistan, Mr Amin said, he did not consider the recent arrangements of having civilian Ministers as transfer of power. These arrangements were purely of an interim nature.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2021