ISLAMABAD: Interior Minist­­er Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said keeping in view the financial position of the country, holding of general elections in October would be a good option for the government.

Talking to a private news channel, he said the judiciary should constitute a full court to hear petitions of political parties regarding the elections. He said political parties have made a request to the Supreme Court for constituting a larger bench to listen to the genuine complaints of public representatives regarding elections in Punjab.

The minister said the government is engaged in compiling the digital census, and security personnel have also been deployed for security of the staff collecting the census data. He said the government will provide security and financial resources to the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold transparent elections in October.

PML-N leaders seek ‘level playing field’ for all parties before elections

Level playing field

Federal minister and senior PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif said his party would accept the general elections only if its leadership was given level playing field in the political process.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, he said no political party wanted to avoid elections, but level playing field should be given to all before holding general elections this year, adding that the PML-N leadership had always accepted court decisions and never indulged in politics of agitation.

He said Nawaz Sharif had faced disqualification and judicial trials despite being innocent, but it was time to ensure justice to him, who had served the country as the prime minister thrice and contributed to development and progress of the country.

Mr Latif said no suo moto was taken on the PTI chief’s “cipher conspiracy”, attack on national institutions, instigating the institutions to violate the Constitution and law, the RTS [results transmission system] malfunctioning to support Imran Khan, and the PTI government’s performance, which destroyed the economy. He said justice parameters should be the same for all, as no one should be dear to justice and above the law.

The minister said foreign elements wanted to pressurise the national institutions just to benefit from chaos and political instability, caused by Imran Khan in the country. He said the PTI chief had become a puppet of foreign elements, as he always intended to destabilise the national institutions and created hurdles in the way to development and progress of the country.

Separately, PM’s special assistant Attaullah Tarar said elections should be held across the country simultaneously as the PTI had nothing to do with the country and it was bent upon spreading chaos and anarchy in society. He said the PML-N was never afraid of going into elections; however, it wanted that level playing field should be ensured for all parties.

In reply to a question at a press conference in Lahore, the SAPM said all political parties in the ruling alliance were united and decisions were being taken with consultation.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2023