KARACHI, April 25: Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said there can be designs by certain elements to prolong interim set-up on one pretext or the other but the national interest requires the caretaker government hold elections on time.

The PPPP chief said at a press conference at a local restaurant here on Thursday that when elections could be held even during wars in other countries, incidents of bomb blasts should not impede conduct of elections on time in Pakistan.

The veteran politician said without naming the Muttahida Qaumi Movement that every political party was facing hurdles, in particular liberal parties whose offices and leaders were being attacked.

In the current situation, he admitted, the PPP central leadership was not able to lead election campaign in different parts of the country like Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto who used to lead the campaign. But in the changed circumstances, the party would prefer to protect people during its campaign, he said.

Responding to questions, Mr Fahim said the outcome of investigations carried out not only by national agencies but also by the US and Britain into Benazir Bhutto’s assassination was still awaited.

He said that Bilawal Bhutto was very much in political arena and leading the party in his own way. But it was true that political vacuum created by the assassination of Benazir Bhutto was yet to be filled, he said.

Asked why the party’s advertisements on TV channels failed to mention government’s achievements during its five-year rule and showed only Bhutto family’s tragedies, Mr Fahim said the completion of five years tenure and history-making transfer of power to interim set-up were no mean feats, particularly, when anti-democratic forces had unleashed a vicious mud-slinging campaign against the PPP government since the day it was sworn in and started making predictions about its end every now and then.

Against all odds, he said, the party took very important decisions with consensus and did not spend a single penny in elections of speakersand senate.

He said that fight against terrorism consumed most of the time, energy and funds of the government which spent $100 billion on maintenance of law and order alone.

If this huge amount had been spent on development projects of health, education and other social sector schemes the country would have been in a better shape today, he said, adding terrorism was a cancer which could be fought off only by joint efforts of entire nation.