LONDON: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced on Thursday that voting machines will not be used in the upcoming general election. However, he stated that the government will take steps to provide expats with representation.
The statement was issued following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers with PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif at his son Hussain Nawaz’s home in London. Since the prime minister and his delegation flew to London to meet Nawaz, this was their second meeting.
While speaking to Pakistani media, the minister, flanked by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Marriyum Aurangzeb, stated that the current government will “abolish” the concept of EVMs. He also briefed the media on the meeting’s decisions.
Sanaullah admired the Pakistan Army spokesperson’s statement regarding the military leadership’s decision to stay out of politics and avoid being dragged into it by any means.
“PML-N applauded ISPR Director General Major General Iftikhar Babar’s Thursday statement that the Pakistan Army will uphold its constitutional role and that no political party should attempt to drag it into politics.
Sanaullah continued by stating that this is Nawaz Sharif’s position, that institutions should not be involved in politics. He stated that it is a positive development that the judiciary and other institutions have stayed out of politics, which is why Imran Khan is running a defamation campaign against the army and judiciary.
Sanaullah stated that the statement is in accordance with the Constitution in response to a question about PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary’s request to the Pakistan Army that “chowkidar” play its role and hold elections and the DG ISPR’s statement that it was not the military’s responsibility to hold elections.
We condemn Fawad Chaudhry’s derogatory remarks about the armed forces of Pakistan.
He added that it had been decided that the PTI’s planned dharna in Islamabad would be met with an iron fist and that there would be zero tolerance for anyone inciting violence.
When asked if former prime minister Imran Khan would be arrested, the interior minister stated that there would be no arbitrary arrests; however, anyone found to be involved in illegal activities would be arrested and dealt with harshly once all legal requirements are met.
He reported that the meeting discussed the PTI’s planned dharna in Islamabad at the end of this month. “Nawaz Sharif has advised us on the action plan, but since we are in a coalition, we will present all suggestions to our coalition partners for a decision. Forget two million people, Imran Khan won’t even be able to bring 20,000, and if we don’t allow it, he won’t even be able to bring 20.”
Sanaullah stated that it had been decided to expose to the nation the “dirt” and “corruption” left behind by the PTI government. Regarding the upcoming elections, Sanaullah stated that the decision rested with coalition partners and “if allies want us to hold early elections, we will do so.”
Sanaullah stated that the meeting assessed the mess that Imran Khan has left behind by destroying the economy and social fabric of society and that he is misleading the nation.
“Nawaz Sharif has provided us with direction and instruction” on how to proceed.
In the meantime, the federal minister for planning and development, Ahsan Iqbal, stated that the primary objective of the visit was to assess the country’s actual situation and seek advice from Nawaz Sharif, as “he is the most senior statesman in Pakistan, and we wanted to consult with him so that in the coming days the government could quickly steer the country out of crises. The Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has left the country’s economy in terrible condition.
The national leadership must guide the nation out of this crisis. This is a coalition government, so all decisions should be made through mutual consultation and agreement. “We will hold our partners’ conversations with Nawaz Sharif in strict confidence. The national leadership will fulfill its responsibility to lead the nation out of crises.
Ahsan described former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan as an “enemy of the state” who targets Pakistan’s constitution and institutions. He lies constantly and has violated the constitution; we will not tolerate this because Pakistan belongs to all of us.
Imran Khan has lost his mind, and he intends to destroy institutions by conducting a campaign of defamation against the constitution. He claims to be running a campaign for freedom, but he has already capitulated to the IMF and sold the State Bank of Pakistan. He claims he has never asked for assistance, but he has solicited donations his entire
