Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Thursday said the caretaker government was committed to conduct free, fair and transparent elections and it would provide all possible facilities to the Election Commission of Pakistan for conducting elections. He said this during a meeting with the delegation of Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), which wad led by its President Dr. Raza Muhammad. The current political and economic situation of the country, elimination of fake news and disinformation, upcoming general elections, social media issues, and elections in other countries of South Asia were discussed in the meeting. The delegation informed the Minister about the IPRI's latest research on the political scenario of the country, and appreciated the caretaker government's commitment for conducting free, fair and transparent elections. "Equal opportunities are being provided to all political parties, there will be no discrimination against anyone," Murtaza Solangi said. He said for improvement of the political environment in the country, development of consensus among all political parties was indispensable. The minister said the world was facing the problems of misinformation, disinformation and fake news, while the latter was the biggest challenge on social media. All stakeholders would have to play their role in ending fake news, he maintained. The role of media in the upcoming general elections was also discussed in the meeting. Caretaker Information Minister said the media would be provided a conducive environment during the elections. Equal coverage was being given to all political parties on state media, he added. The Caretaker Information Minister said that in a striking show of unity, the heads of two of the three biggest parties, the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML–N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have joined calls by President Arif Alvi and caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar for support across the political spectrum to ensure the elections are accepted as transparent and legitimate. He said that the joint declaration reflects a growing consensus that all parties should cooperate to ensure the success of the poll, to be held on February 8, 2024. A fair democratic process, overseen by the independent Election Commission of Pakistan and the non-party caretaker government, is seen as fundamental to the country’s stability and to tackling the economic challenges facing its people. The Caretaker Information Minister said that the elections follow the dissolution of the National Assembly in August 2023. The February date was announced by Sikandar Sultan Raja, Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, on November 2, after consulting President Alvi. The President has expressed his trust that the Prime Minister, appointed following the dissolution, will ensure the elections are free and fair. He emphasized the paramount importance of Kakar’s interim government acting as a neutral umpire to ensure a “level playing field” so that “all registered political parties should have equal rights and opportunities to contest the forthcoming elections.” He welcomed as “reassuring” comments by Kakar affirming the government’s commitment to ensuring this equal treatment. Mr. Solangi further quoted the Prime Minister who said: “We will ensure free and fair elections and make sure those elections are held with the utmost transparency. We are fully focused on holding the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner and are fully supporting the Election Commission for this purpose.” Information Minister said that the support for the Commission was echoed by Asif Ali Zardari, who was President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013 and is co-chair of the PPP, which emerged as the third-largest party in the 2018 elections. “The country is heading towards transparent polls,” Zardari said, adding: “I have full confidence in the Electoral Commission.” Zardari also commented that it was important for all stakeholders to take part because “the environment in Pakistan is currently favourable for elections and the elections should be held on time.” The Information Minister said that Maryum Aurangzeb, leader of PML–N, the largest party in the previous National Assembly, welcomed Zardari’s comments as “encouraging” and called on other political leaders to follow suit. The Information Minister quoted her saying that free and fair elections were the only solution to the challenges facing the country. The delegation expressed its determination to continue working with the government in efforts to build a consensus in Pakistan. The delegation included IPRI Director (Advocacy and Communication) Siddique Humayun, Hisham, Miss Jawaria, Institute of Strategic Studies Director Khurram Abbas and Naufal, also from Institute of Policy Studies.
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