report in The Nation, Dec 7, 2023
ISLAMABAD – Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said Wednesday that the nation should not have any doubts about the
general elections to be held on February 8, 2024.
“I have no doubt about it… The concerns are often associated with our political system. We have a history of our own,” he
remarked in an interview with Independent Urdu. The prime minister expressed the hope that the elections would be held in free
and fair manner.
To a question, he said he did not consider the general elections of the 70s as a benchmark either as many people had different
opinions about those polls. “Of course, they were very transparent. At that time, it was already decided before the elections
which way they would go to, so I consider it a problem,” he added.
He said as the arrangements were in place, and he was hopeful that the caretaker government would be able to give results in a
relatively better way. The prime minister said that he endorsed the Election Commission’s denial of any delay in the polls.
“They (Election Commission) have to conduct (elections). We are with them.”
He said as per the Election Commission, the election schedule will cover 56 days, based on which the schedule should be
announced by December 14. Asked about the notions of elections being associated with the decline in Imran Khan’s popularity
and his exclusion from the electoral process, the prime minister termed it a political analysis. However, the elections would
judge the popularity of any political leader, he commented.
To a question about the participation of Imran Khan or his party in the general elections, he said that there was no
restriction on him as yet. “However, if something unusual comes up, I can’t say anything about it . As of today, they are in a
position to contest elections and they will contest.”
About the disappearances and resurfacing of PTI leaders, the prime minister said such people went into hiding, fearing arrest
for their involvement in attacks on state institutions on May 9. He said while in hiding, they would have second thought to
leave PTI or politics which was their personal decision.
He said that no evidence of ‘state coercion’ had come to his knowledge, and even none of those people had spoken of ‘state
coercion’. Until then, it’s just allegations, he added.
Prime Minister Kakar disagreed with the view that the decision of May 9 arson should be left to the people for elections. He
also rejected the allegations of not having a level playing field. ……
https://www.nation.com.pk/E-Paper/lahore/2023-12-07/page-1/detail-3
