Brushing aside rumors about a possible delay in the next general election, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday said the election would be held on time and a caretaker government would be put in place on March 18, 2013, the day when the term of the incumbent parliament expires. Talking to reporters outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after ECP’s meeting with political parties, Kaira said consultations on the caretaker setup would be held on time and this would not delay the general election.
Kaira’s remarks came against the backdrop of demands from opposition parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), that the government should immediately begin consultations on forming a caretaker set-up so that polls can be held later this year. Experts said Kaira’s comments were a clear indication that the PPP was in no haste to form the caretaker setup and rather the indication of March was aimed at using the timing of elections as a bargaining chip with the opposition parties on a number of issues.
The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PML-N recently held preliminary negotiations on short-listing a unanimous personality to head the interim setup, but the talks broke down after the two parties could not agree on a consensus nominee to head the caretaker administration. “Nobody should have any doubt that election will be delayed. The caretaker government will be in place well on time and every effort will be made to evolve consensus,” he added. He said parliament and the government would complete their tenure on March 18, 2013 and consultation process should continue for caretaker set up. “Consultation is a constitutional requirement and we will consult our allies, opposition parties and even those parties who do not have representation in parliament.”
Kaira reiterated the government’s resolve to provide technical support to the ECP for holding free and fair election. “Whatever responsibility the commission will assign to the government, we shall fulfill it.” About formation of the caretaker government, the minister said the opposition had leaked couple of names for political point scoring, but this bid fired back with Sardar Ataullah Mengal refusing to take any responsibility. “If anybody acts like that just for point scoring, it meets the similar fate as in the case of Ataullah Mengal.” Asked about credibility of the ECP, Kaira said he and his party had no doubt over the credibility of the ECP. “This is a state institution and all parties have to trust it. However, there are some capacity issues and the commission and political parties are discussing it. We do not have any doubt on the credibility of the commission.” The minister said the government always opted to resolve issues through consultation even in tense situations and reaffirmed to resolve the matter of caretaker government with consensus.
“If we cannot evolve consensus, there is a laid down constitutional procedure for putting in place a caretaker setup. There is nothing to worry about,” he said, referring to the constitutional proviso allowing the ECP to name caretaker set up if the government and opposition fail to reach consensus. To a question about representation of dual nationality holders in parliament, the minister said overseas Pakistanis were more patriotic than anybody else as they always remained concerned about the welfare of the country. “But it is decision of the court and the constitution that they cannot become members of parliament,” he said.
“However, for me, it is beyond perception that dual nationality holders can be part of executive, judiciary, bureaucracy, security agencies, foreign office and nuclear program, but they cannot be members of parliament,” he wondered. On the issue of false declarations, Kaira said the government respected decisions of the Supreme Court and the ECP. But he said around 90 percent of MPs could have not studied the provisions of Article 62 and 63 in detail at the time of filing declarations. “My observation is that whether this was a mistake or deliberate, if any member filed false declaration mistakenly, then I feel that it should be looked into,” he said.