ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, Friday, said that there were no directives from the Prime Minister (PM) or the federal cabinet for delay in general elections.
Talking to the media here outside the Parliament House, the minister said that he did not get a chance to argue in the Senate following a resolution passed by the upper house urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the upcoming general elections owing to severe weather conditions and security concerns.
According to Article 218(3) of the Constitution, it was the power of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), to conduct elections, give a date or change the date for elections, he said. “We cannot interfere in the affairs of a constitutional body,” Solangi said.
Afghan media team meets Solangi
Acknowledging the problems mentioned in the resolution were the real problems, he said, adding that these problems had existed before in the history of Pakistan’s parliamentary politics and elections.
The minister maintained that it was the government’s responsibility to look into the issues of harsh weather and other matters including providing security. “So far, no signal has been received from any quarters regarding postponement of elections,” he said. Only the ECP, he said, had the constitutional authority to postpone the elections.
Meanwhile, following the passage of a resolution in the upper house of the parliament, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan chief Sirajul Haq while strongly opposing the resolution has declared the resolution as a conspiracy against the country and the democracy. He said that his party on February 8, 2024, wants free and fair elections across the country.
Taking to the social media platform, X formerly (Twitter), Siraj said that once democracy is derailed no power will again bring it back on track, adding that citing poor law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan for delaying the general elections was tantamount of surrendering to the forces wanted to destabilize the country.
He said that holding timely free and fair elections was the only way to restore peace and harmony in the country. The JI chief further said that it was the basic right of the masses to elect their representatives through free and fair elections and the people of Pakistan in any case should not be deprived of this basic right.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024