Karachi (Web Desk): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Election Commission and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi said on Saturday that as per the Constitution, the country’s affairs would be run by its elected representatives.
Addressing a press conference on the occasion of his visit to Karachi Press Club, the minister said that the Election Commission of Pakistan ( ECP) was responsible for conducting free, fair, transparent and impartial elections under Article 218(3) of the Constitution.
He said that the caretaker government would play its full role in holding free and fair elections.
The minister said that delimitation of constituencies would be completed by November 30 and after that, the final date of the election would also be given.
Terming Karachi Press Club as his old home, he said it has been an important front in the evolution of democracy in the country.
He said that Karachi Press Club had a historical status and its role in the freedom of expression, knowledge and people’s right to rule was praiseworthy.
The minister said that working class and oppressed people of Pakistan also come to Karachi Press Club and explain their pains and sufferings.
Solangi said that he was aware of the hardships suffered by the journalists as there were problems related to their jobs.
He said that the current caretaker government was a constitutional and legal government under Article 224 of the Constitution and during its tenure, injustice cannot be done to journalists.
The minister said that measures would be taken together with the Principal Information Officer to solve the problems of journalists.
In response to a question, the caretaker information minister said that the ECP had announced to hold general elections in the last week of January.
"The caretaker government will help the ECP in every way and all the requirements of the electoral body will be fulfilled," Solangi said.
In response to a question about the prices of petroleum products, the minister of information said that the prices of petroleum products were determined by the prices in the world market.
He expressed the hope that the prices of petroleum products would decrease in the coming days.
To a question related to non-payment of salaries to media workers and journalists, the federal minister said that government advertisements would not be issued to those media houses that would not pay salaries to their employees.
To another question, he said that about Rs8 billion had been recovered from electricity thieves.
He said due to electricity theft, other consumers are burdened and there was a need of correcting this system.
In response to a question, the minister said that if someone had any reservations about the ECP, he could knock the door of the courts.
He said that the caretaker set up had limited mandate and time duration and they want to improve the economy of the country while remaining in their constitutional ambit.
Earlier on Friday, addressing a news conference alongside Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, the information minister reiterated the caretaker government’s commitment for providing a level-playing field to all registered political parties during the general elections.
Solangi assured impartial treatment to any political group during the election campaign.