The caretaker government has no plan to delay elections, interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said on Friday.
“Neither I don’t have an opinion on his nor the government. It is not our responsibility,” he said while responding to a query on the timing of general elections at a press briefing in Islamabad where he spoke about the cabinet decisions. “This is the job of the election commission. We have a responsibility to assist them.”
The query was asked against the backdrop of the ECP’s decision to go ahead with fresh delimitation as participants of an ECP meeting agreed that elections were not possible in the 90 days stipulated by the constitution.
Many experts have feared that the general elections would not be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly citing the above mentioned reason.
“Holding elections is the responsibility of ECP under the law. I will request you to visit the ECP visit. They have presented a rationale and schedule for holding elections that till when they will have delimitations. It is their duty. You know this matter to some extent is subjudice because a party or a few legal experts have approached the apex court. This is not the duty of caretaker government. ECP will hold elections. We don’t have any wish related to this.”
Solangi went on to add that the ECP had its own rationale pertaining to delimitation and added that the government was willing to assist the body in its efforts. But he highlighted that the country would fulfil its responsibilities until it was in power.
When asked if the Constitution would be violated, Solangi said that the country has Constitution and institutions that ensure the implementation of those rules. “We will follow what the ECP says.”
Solangi’s press conference came after the Pakistan Bar Council expressed concerns over the ECP’s decision to draw new delimitations, increasing likelihood of delay in elections.
On the other hand, former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told Geo News that elections will happen on time ‘at any cost’.
Shehbaz also said that if the PMLN was successful in the elections, Nawaz Sharif will become PM. He added that Nawaz was the leader, while he himself was only a worker.
