Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Sunday maintained that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) faces no hurdles in contesting the upcoming general elections, adding all registered parties will have equal opportunities to campaign for the next government.
“There are no restrictions on PTI as a political party,” he told an online portal in a one-on-one interview. He stressed that all political parties and their leaders had the freedom to opine on any issue of national interest, adding that the media and courts were equally free. The caretaker government, along with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he said, would ensure equal opportunities for all political parties in the upcoming elections.
To a question on a date for general elections, Solangi expressed confidence in the ECP’s capability as an autonomous constitutional body to announce and conduct polls, adding the interim government would support it in this endeavor.
Responding to a query on the return of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan on Oct. 21, he emphasized this had nothing to do with the caretaker setup. Recalling that Nawaz was allowed to leave the country on court orders, he said the former prime minister’s return would likewise be dealt with as per the law and Constitution.
To questions about the expulsion of foreigners illegally residing in the country, the caretaker noted that no country in the world had hosted as many refugees over four decades as Pakistan. Stressing that no country could survive with “soft” borders that permitted free entry and exit without any documentation, he claimed the government’s aim was to deport illegal residents, while allowing formally registered foreigners to continue residing in the country without hindrance.
Reiterating the government’s plans, he said all illegally residing foreigners who had not left the country by Oct. 31 would be forcibly deported. “Our aim is to defend our state and our citizens. Our primary responsibility is to defend our citizens and secure our national borders,” he stressed.
To questions on the caretaker government’s plans to privatize loss-making state-owned enterprises, Solangi noted the process had been initiated by the previous Parliament and the interim government was merely advancing it.