Free and fair elections are the only way left to save democracy in the country, read a joint statement issued after the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) conference on Friday.
The conference, Democratic Transition-Free and Fair Elections, was held at a hotel.
It was also said that caretaker government would not proceed beyond its fixed period which is 90 days and would resist if anyone try to prolong this fixed time.
Earlier, addressing the conference, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the government wanted that the elections would be held on time. “In 2008 general elections, the mandate was distributed in all political parties in such a way that not a single political party can form government alone and this would be happened in these general elections too,” he added.
“The ECP should have its focus on remote areas of the country where influential people occupy the stations a night before the polling day.”
“The role of judiciary in past was not significant. The sitting chief justice (CJ) helped to strengthen the dictatorship in past and he helped Pervez Musharraf to prolong its government and he is assumed as hero of Pakistan,” he accused.
Speaking on the occasion, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar said, “The present government failed in holding local bodies’ election all over the country. I am hopeful that the next elected government would hold local bodies’ election in 100 days after formation of national and provincial assemblies,” he added. He stressed a need for formation of national agenda and repeatedly requested the authorities concerned to maintain law and order situation during the election process.”