LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Ali Khan demanded on Thursday that the next general elections take place in a timely manner.
During a press conference, the PTI chief stated that the Lahore High Court’s decision did not allow for the postponement of elections.
He argued against the appointment of district officers as returning officers (ROs), emphasising that it could potentially lead to rigging. Khan expressed concern about the possibility of the election being annulled due to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s notification regarding ROs. He pointed out that the ECP had previously used the excuse of elections being annulled. He also highlighted that the Supreme Court had explicitly instructed that elections should occur on Feb 8, following an agreement between the ECP and the president of Pakistan.
“Our consistent demand has been for the appointment of judicial magistrates,” reiterated the PTI chief.
He urged the ECP and the Supreme Court to ensure that the elections take place on time.
On the other hand, :Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ghulam Ali on Wednesday said that timely elections were the need of the hour, however, a conducive environment was imperative to conduct free, fair and transparent polls in the country.
Talking to the media here at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University (SBBWU), he said that holding the general elections was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the caretaker governments were the facilitators, adding the concerns of the stakeholders should also be addressed by the ECP.
He said that currently Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces were facing two challenges one is the security situation and the other is extreme weather conditions.
He said the ECP should consult all the political parties and stakeholders for the election date as harsh weather conditions coupled with the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan could affect the election.
He said that the economic situation of the country could only be streamlined if an elected government came to power for which a fair and transparent election was imperative.
Referring to the Dera terror attack, he said that he met with the injured as well as the bereaved families and all of them were determined and in high morale.
Earlier, he inaugurated badminton and squash courts at SBBWU and said that women’s education was the top priority of the government for a peaceful and developed society, adding that the role of women in any sector could bring prosperity.
He said that equal opportunities should be given to females in all walks of life.
He said that the active participation of females in society could put the country on a path of development and progress.
He recalled that SBBWU was set up by the JUI-F government to promote women’s education, where they can get higher education without any hesitation.
He assured the provision of funds for the promotion of sports activities for the students of SBBWU and its affiliated colleges. –Agencies
