Report in Dawn, Sept 12th, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday said there was no restriction on the PTI from taking part in elections.
Talking about the incidents of May 9 during an interview with Dunya TV, the interim PM said “miscreants” had resorted to vandalism and the incident was widely reported by the media.
“The accused involved in the incident would be dealt with according to the law of the land,” he said.
In a separate interview, his regime’s chief spokesperson — Information Minister Murtaza Solangi — said …. PTI was a duly registered political party and there was no restriction on its participation in the electoral process.
Talking about elections, PM Kakar reiterated his stance that it was for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide a date, adding: “We have no intention to prolong the tenure of the caretaker government.”
This sentiment was also echoed by Mr Solangi, who said that the ultimate choice of supporting a certain political party rested with the people. The incumbent government’s focus was on how to hold impartial, fair and transparent elections and the ECP’s role in that regard would also be crucial, he said.
Once the delimitation process completed, he said, political parties would have 54 days to conduct their election campaigns, adding that the caretaker regime was committed to working closely with the commission to create an atmosphere conducive to political activities.
Mr Kakar said PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif was thrice elected prime minister, but he would also be treated according to law whenever he returned.
In reply to a question, the premier said he had no intention to hold meetings with the leadership of political parties…… https://www.dawn.com/news/1775392/pti-not-barred-from-contesting-polls-says-pm-kakar
