Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso said on Sunday in an interview with Pakistan Television (PTV) that free, fair and transparent elections could not be held without the retired judges who should be included in the interim setup.
He said that when he became the prime minister he ensured transparent and timely elections despite many problems like the electricity crisis and the poor law and order situation. He proclaimed the successful elections a great victory for democracy and hoped that the new government would stabilise the democracy.
“We were determined to hold elections at all costs and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) did its work efficiently. While there have been some rigging allegations, overall, the elections were free and fair,” he maintained.
Khoso said that political parties fully participated in the electoral process, leading to the central and provincial government formation phase which would be completed in a few days.
Responding to a question regarding speculations on postponement of by-elections‚ the PM admitted that there had been some security related issues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan but the caretaker government was determined to proceed with elections as scheduled.
He said with the new government’s coming, control was vested in the elected representatives, which would lead to the country’s stability‚ prosperity and development. Khoso praised the current leadership for its efficiency and understanding of the country’s problems and said that Pakistan has the requisite resources to deal with its crises.
Responding to a question on Balochistan, he said that educational levels there were not at par with the other provinces and the literacy rate needed to be improved.
Khoso also cautioned about Karachi’s handling, as it was the country’s financial hub of the country and home to multiple ethnicities.
The interim PM stressed that the people of Pakistan needed to rise as a nation by following the principles of unity‚ faith and discipline espoused by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
“Myriads hopes are pinned on the present leadership, and the new government is fully capable of solving the country’s problems. Good governance in the centre and the provinces is vital.”
