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QUETTA: Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi has categorically stated that the general elections will be held on Feb 8 next year and that all speculations in this regard are baseless.
“There should be no doubt about general elections on Feb 8, 2024, as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, and the government has released the required fund in this regard to the ECP,” he said while addressing a press conference with caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai at the Quetta Press Club on Friday.
He said the caretaker government would fulfil its responsibilities to meet financial, administrative or security requirements of the ECP for holding free, fair and transparent elections.
Replying to a question about former prime minister Imran Khan’s tweet about the conduct of Pakistani officials with the repatriating Afghan refugees, the minister said illegal immigrants had returned to their countries voluntarily.
Solangi says govt to fulfil responsibility to meet ECP’s needs
“The accusations by the former PTI chairman in his tweet are baseless. About 500,000 illegal immigrants have left voluntarily and none of them was forced to leave Pakistan,” he said.
Mr Solangi said Pakistan was acknowledged the world for its hospitality, adding the tweet was just a tactical move to gain sympathies of the Afghan government and muster some support over other political parties in the run-up to the upcoming elections.
The minister said the facilities enjoyed by Mr Khan in the jail did not include tweet facility, wondering how the former premier could tweet from his official account while in detention.
Mr Solangi alleged that during the PTI government, TTP terrorists were brought to Pakistan without any legal justification.
Responding to a question, he said every political party which took part in elections made complaints and presented itself as victim just to muster the sympathies of people. “That’s why all parties are demanding a level playing field and levelling allegations against each other.”
The minister announced that broadcast of Hazaragi language programmes on PTV Bolan would start from December 17.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2023
