No directives from PM, cabinet for delay in elections: info minister

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi on Friday said that there was no directives from the Prime Minister or the federal cabinet for delay in general elections.

Talking to the media outside the Parliament House, the minister said that he did not get a chance to give arguments in the resolution on the postponement of the elections in the upper house.

According to Article 218(3) of the Constitution, it was the power of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), to conduct elections, give a date or change the date for elections, he said. “We cannot interfere in the affairs of a constitutional body,” Murtaza Solangi said.

Acknowledging the problems mentioned in the resolution were the real problems, he said adding that these problems had existed before in the history of Pakistan’s Parliamentary politics and elections.

The minister maintained that it was the government’s responsibility to look into the issues of harsh weather and other matters including providing security. So far, no signal has been received from any quarters regarding postponement of elections, he said. Only the ECP, he said had the constitutional authority to postpone the elections.