ISLAMABAD: Minutes after opposition decided to bring a joint candidate for presidential election, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has enough support to get their candidate elected to office, ARY News reported.
Speaking to media in the federal capital, the minister maintained that the government is not threatened by any candidate the opposition brings forward for the post as it already has enough support to get Arif Alvi elected as president.
Earlier in the day, a multi-party conference convened by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) decided to bring forward a joint candidate for the post of the president of Pakistan. PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that a consensus has been reached on a united candidate who will be announced tomorrow (Sunday).
About Imran Ismail’s appointment as governor
When asked about Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Saeed Ghani’s objection over nominated Sindh governor Imran Ismail’s qualification, Fawad Chaudhry maintained that if a matriculate can become president an intermediate can also serve as governor.
“Saeed Ghani is my friend and I would have appreciated if he would have even noticed the same about Zardari (PPP co-chairman), if a matriculate can serve as president, what is wrong with governorship,” said Chaudhry.
The PTI stalwart who also contested polls from Sindh Assembly’s PS-111 constituency had declared before Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that he only has 12 years of formal education.
The minister, while answering a question, said that the the PTI government is mulling over removing government’s control over advertisments to media on the same footing as it removed political censorship from state television and radio.
“I have also forwarded a suggestion that all channels should submit some amount as security deposit with the government so if they fail to pay salaries, we can pay their employees,” said Chaudhry.
It is pertinent to note here that the minister had announced a day before that opposition will also have its say in the editorial policy of state television and radio and he will make efforts to bring the Pakistan Television’s English wing at par with international media.
