QUETTA, April 26: The army would play the role of a rapid response force in and around polling stations in all sensitive areas of the country, federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arif Nizami said on Friday.

“Some elements are hatching a conspiracy to delay general elections by carrying out terrorist activities,” he said, adding that the caretaker government was taking action to nab such elements and to foil plots to sabotage the elections.

Mr Nizami said the government was facing power and gas shortages, tottering economy and deteriorating law and order situation.

He said that Prime Minister retired Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso had ordered release of Rs20 billion as financial assistance to resolve the issue of electricity and gas loadshedding. Another Rs15bn was also being released in this regard.

He said the law and order situation in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become a challenge for the caretaker government and the prime minister had held meetings with all chief ministers and higher authorities of law-enforcement agencies to bring the situation under control.

In reply to a question, he said general elections would be held on time and the propaganda that elections might be delayed was false. “We have pledged that general elections will be held on time at any cost,” he said.

He welcomed the Baloch and Pakhtun nationalists, including Balochistan National Party-Mengal, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and others for participating in general elections.

“The participation of Sardar Akhtar Mengal and other nationalists is a good omen for democracy and it will strengthen democratic values in the country,” he said.

He said Balochistan Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad had told him that the provincial government had released Rs10 million for compensation to families of journalists killed in terrorist attacks while performing their duty.