Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghulam Ali said that federal and provincial governments should coordinate with the Election Commission of Pakistan and state institutions to amke sure a peaceful atmosphere is created for elections. He added that elections would not be able to take place if people are dying.

Speaking in Spotlight with Munizae Jahangir on Wednesday, Haji Ghulam Ali said that his recent statements should not be taken to mean that he did not want elections to take place.

He said that elections were the only solution to the country’s problems be they political or social. However, governments, institutions and ECP would have to take actions based on reports presented to them for elections to take place, he added.

Ghulam Ali added that a ‘peaceful’ atmosphere was needed for elections to take place and it was the responsibility of all stakeholders to make sure the atmosphere was created.

He added that tings were not stable in Waziristan, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat and other areas and he wanted to bring the matter to the attention of the ECP and federal government. He said that untoward incidents should not take place when campaigns should begin.

Ghulam Ali said that measures to counter possible problems should begin immediately and not just when elections begin.

He added that it was not possible that elections would go on normally while people are dying.

However, he did not directly answer a question about whether he had specific reports about threats to political parties or politicans. He said that things such as the the recent bombing in Bajaur had made it clear to the naked eye where things stood in the province.

When asked if he would recommend elections if the law and order situation in the province did not improve by February, the governor said he would give his input at the time of elections.

Ghulam Ali said that if the minister of interior had reports that Maulana Fazal ur Rehman had a higher level of threat that other politicians than he should ‘work on it’.

While he declined to give his own opinion on the process of reconciliation with terrorists, Ghulam Ali said that the policy had been criticised by state institutions and he was a representative of the state.

He added that no politican would reject reconciliation but there would have to be consensus and careful consideration of any such agreement with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.