PESHAWAR, Dec 17: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Durrani has said that now it is too late to strike a deal with any political force.

Speaking at the “Meet the Press” programme held at the Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, he said that there would be no deal with any political force and only free and fair elections would be held through which the people would vote for a new government.

He said that all provincial governments, including the NWFP, would complete their tenure.

The minister said that those who were relying on drawing room politics or agitations had been rejected by the masses.

He said that the Hasba Bill was un-Islamic and illegal, and tantamount to creating a parallel system to the existing judiciary system, therefore the federal government had challenged it in the apex court. The federal government would respect any decision of the court, he added.

He said the MMA-led provincial government had passed the bill in haste in order to provide jobs to its supporters and protect their government in the province.

Mr Durrani said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf would visit the NWFP in January and announce many uplift packages and address the grievances of the people.

Mr Durrani ruled out any possibility of striking a deal with Pakistan People’s Party or any other political force ahead of the general elections.

He said that the ARD had become a group of defeated leaders and had practically ceased to exist as some of its members wanted to impose their opinion over the others.

The minister said that President Musharraf had taken bold steps to launch mega projects in Balochistan to put it on the path to progress.

He said that those who had taken up arms against the government under pressure from miscreants were laying arms in droves.

On allegations and counter allegations between the Afghanistan and Pakistan leadership, he said that both the countries had religious, cultural, historical and geographical bonds, the people of Pakistan had always supported and assisted the Afghan people in the hour of need.He said that Afghan President Hamid Karzai was actually hurting his own people when he was spewing hatred against Pakistan at the behest of alien forces.

Mr Durrani said that Pakistan had a dynamic Afghan policy, which honoured the sovereignty and stability of Afghanistan.

Replying to a question, he said that President Musharraf had supported and would back those who had elected him to the office of presidency.

The minister said that the report on the death of tribal journalist Hayatullah had been finalised and the information ministry would honour the recommendations of the inquiry commission.

PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY: The federal minister said the government was working on a plan to give maximum autonomy to the provinces, adds PPI.