Peace in country must for general polls: Qamar Zaman Kaira

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Affairs, Qamar Zaman Kaira on Monday said it was necessary to have peace in the country to hold general elections as Imran Khan created chaos and uncertainty in the country.

Addressing a news conference, the PM’s aide said there was a debate sparked in the assemblies, media and decision-making circles due to the postponement of provincial assembly elections in Punjab.

Kaira said there was an uncertain situation in the country which was at its peak. The first goal during such a situation was to make decisions with logic and reason.

At present, he said the problems faced by the country demanded the stakeholders to take decisions with patience, vision and tolerance, the state news agency reported.

He regretted that on the contrary, everyone was trying to defeat his or her opponents whether it was in the departments or media.

The reality has gone obscure and people were left directionless, he said.

The elections in the two provinces were postponed and a huge hue and cry was made on it and termed a major constitutional violation by the Opposition.

Kaira said the coalition parties tried to stop Imran Khan from dissolving the assemblies of KP and Punjab but it failed.

“The powers whatsoever enshrined in the constitution are based on some logic and demands from the one who exercise to use it prudently,” he added.

He claimed that the Punjab Assembly dissolved by the then CM Pervaiz Elahi was not carried out as per his own will but rather on Imran Khan’s whims.

That decision, he said was not based on Elahi’s own free will, adding, “the election process involves security deployment, management of electoral staff, finances from the Ministry of finance which is a complete exercise,” he said.

The ECP categorically stated that it was not able to provide mass-level staff deployment to hold elections, he said.

He mentioned that the national census was underway in the country and teams were in the field across the country.

The departments concerned informed that due to census staff was not available, he said adding, “The census is held after ten years but this time it is being held after seven years.

It has been decided in CCI under then Prime Minister Imran Khan to hold the census in a more transparent and fair manner. So that, new polls are to be held under the new census.”

The ECP wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, apprising him of the fact that the departments concerned had denied aid to hold polls on April 30 due to the census and law and order situation in the country, he added.

The PM convened the cabinet meeting that endorsed the situation and the ECP in the light of those facts had delayed the elections, he said.