Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi said on Sunday that it was in the interest of all political forces and parties concerned that general elections should be held on February 8.
Speaking at the seventh edition of Think Fest 2024, the minister said it would be good for the country if the elections were held on the scheduled day, i.e., Thursday, February 8.
He reminded me that it was written in the preamble of the Constitution that the elected representatives would run Pakistan.
The minister said that everyone was complaining about the level playing field during the run-up to the elections.
The Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muslim Pakistan League (N) were voicing their complaints. At the same time, Maulana Fazlur Rehman also complained of a lack of a level playing field in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
“The working class of Pakistan does not have a level playing field,̶1; Solangi maintained.
He remarked that with a fundamental change in the system enabling the commoner to contest elections, there would be a level playing field.
The minister stressed that every political party should give its members the right to vote in the election of its office-bearers.
He said, in his opinion, yesterday’s Apex Court decision was a good precedent.
He added that it would have been better if there were legal experts on the panel who could explain the legal position.
Terming political instability and economic survival as the country’s main challenges, Solangi said the next government might be facing financial issues.
“We need improvement in the economy. With the principal amount of the overall budget used for servicing big loans and other payments, it is difficult to run the country,” he said.
The minister said agriculture contributed about a quarter of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Still, the tax collection from the sector was meager.
Moreover, he added, the population was increasing rapidly, burdening sectors like health and education.
He said Pakistan was also bearing the brunt of climate change as well.
“We have to improve relations with our neighboring countries, as we cannot become economically strong,̶1; Solangi maintained.
About the protesters from Balochistan in Islamabad, the minister said that they were offered to hold their sit-in either at F-9 Park or H-9, but they insisted on going to the D Chowk in Red Zone. “No group, be it political or religious, is allowed to enter the Red Zone,̶1; Solangi said.
He said the police had to take action when the protesters camping outside the National Press Club tried to enter the Red Zone. Later, the government’s negotiation committee held talks with them. Then, the women and children arrested by the police were released first. Another 163 people were released in the second phase, and finally, the remaining 34 were also set free.
He added that medical facilities, including an ambulance, were also provided to the protestors. He said the Balochistan governor and other committee members persuaded the protesters to go back peacefully.
The minister said there was a need for a negotiating committee that represented significant political parties and could provide better solutions to this problem.
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