Caretaker govt stood by elections commitment: Solangi

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi said on Wednesday that the caretaker government stood by its commitment of holding general elections on the schedule given by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Media Coordination and Facilitation Centre established by Press Information Department in Islamabad, he said Thursday (tomorrow) morning the voting would start and by midday half of the polling would have been done.

Referring to speculations, he said there were doubts and concerns in people’s minds regarding the elections.

“We stood by the promise of holding polls and elections are being held (tomorrow), putting aside all fears and rumours,” Murtaza Solangi maintained.

The minister said that the caretaker government had taken all possible steps for ensuring the conduct of free and transparent elections, the official news agency reported.

Solangi said after oath-taking of caretaker government on August 17 last year, in his first press briefing here the very next day, the first question he was asked about the elections and his answer was that elections would be held on the timeframe given by the ECP.

Murtaza Solangi said that this country was established under constitutional democracy and constitutional federal parliamentary system was the foundation of its political system.

He said he as spokesperson of the government he had reiterated time and again that elections would be held on the time given by the ECP.

“When the date of February 8 was given, our consistent answer was that the polling stations will open at 8.00am on Thursday, February 8,” he added.

Solangi said that announcement of unofficial results would start tomorrow evening and the official results of the elections will be released by the ECP within three days.

He said there were many challenges and problems in holding elections but the government was not discouraged by anything.

The minister said that Ministry of Information and Broadcasting facilitated the media and provided authentic and verified news to the public through the relevant institutions.

He said that the Press Information Department had set up Media Facilitation Centre to facilitate both local and foreign media in coverage of elections.

Federal Information Secretary Shahera Shahid said that all possible facilities would be provided to the journalists in the Media Coordination and Facilitation Centre here and other cities as well.

She said that Press Information Department had been establishing such centres during elections in the past as well and it had experienced officers and staff.

Anyone could approach the centre set up by PID for getting information and assistance, she maintained.

Principal Information Officer (PIO) Dr Tariq Mehmood Khan in his opening remarks at the inauguration ceremony of the Media Coordination and Facilitation Centre stated that Media Coordination and Facilitation Centres had also been established in PID offices across the country.

He informed the media persons that a total of 4,763 accreditation cards had been issued to journalists who wanted to cover the elections.

Out of the total, the PIO said, around 1,219 cards were issued in Islamabad, 776 in Lahore, 878 in Karachi, 363 in Peshawar, 167 in Quetta, 132 in Hyderabad, 482 in Faisalabad and 746 in Multan.

The Media Coordination and Facilitation Centre will also provide transportation facilities to journalists, Dr. Tariq Mehmood added.

In that regard, different routes had been finalised to cover the election process.

“Our app and media helpline will also work continuously during the election process in case of help needed by any journalist,” he said.

The PID staff would provide their best services round the clock in these centres, he added.

Earlier, Solangi inaugurated the PID Media Coordination and Facilitation Centre.