LAHORE, Feb 21: The National Commission for Justice and Peace has called upon the parties winning the general elections to adopt policies to bring the country on the track of justice, peace and prosperity.

Describing the election results as a verdict for a change in governance, Commission Chairperson Archbishop Lawrence John Saldhana and Secretary Peter Jacob said that the people had given a clear mandate in favour of a complete civilian and constitutional rule, independence of judiciary, freedom of media, more provincial autonomy and a peaceful co-existence of religions and cultures.

They said that the electoral success was only the first step towards a democratic rule. “Real challenges still lies ahead. The political parties and the civil society need to ensure that the verdict of the people is respected and the transition to democracy takes place smoothly.”