ISLAMABAD: Qamar Zaman Kaira, the prime minister’s advisor for Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir affairs, stated on Monday that for general elections to be held, there must be peace in the nation because Imran Khan has wreaked havoc and uncertainty there.
The PM’s aide said at a news conference that the postponement of Punjab’s provincial assembly elections had sparked discussion in the legislature, media, and decision-making circles. According to Kaira, the level of uncertainty in the nation was at an all-time high. Making rational decisions was the first priority in such a situation. He stated that the country’s current issues required the stakeholders to make decisions with tolerance, vision, and patience.
He regretted that on the contrary, everyone was trying to defeat his or her opponents either it was in the departments or media. The reality has gone obscure and people were left directionless, he said. The elections in the two provinces were postponed and a huge hue and cry was made on it and termed it a major constitutional violation by the Opposition. Kaira said the coalition parties tried to stop Imran Khan from dissolving the assemblies of KP and Punjab but it failed.
“The powers whatsoever enshrined in the constitution are based on some logic and demands from the one who exercise to use it prudently,” he added. He claimed that the Punjab Assembly dissolved by the then CM Pervaiz Elahi was not carried out as per his own will rather on Imran Khan’s whims. That decision, he said was not based on Elahi’s own free will, adding, “the election process involves security deployment, management of electoral staff, finances from the Ministry of finance which is a complete exercise,” he said. The ECP categorically stated that it was not able to provide mass level staff deployment to hold elections, he said.
He mentioned that national census was underway in the country and teams were in the field across the country. The departments concerned informed that due to census staff was not available, he said adding, “The census is held after ten years but this time it is being held after seven years. It has been decided in CCI under then Prime Minister Imran Khan to hold census in a more transparent and fair manner. So that, new polls are to be held under the new census.” The ECP wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, apprising him on the fact that the departments concerned had denied aid to hold polls on April 30 due to the census and law and order situation in the country, he added. The PM convened the cabinet meeting that endorsed the situation and the ECP in the light of those facts had delayed the elections, he said.
