Attique assures fair elections in PaK

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Apr 18: The Prime Minister of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan on Monday said that his government was committed to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the region.

 “My regime is completing its term in July and we hope that the Election Commission (EC) will formally announce the  election schedule very soon, probably in first or second week of May”, Khan told a  private news channel. 

He said his government would provide all necessary support and facilities to the EC to conduct transparent polls in the region. 

He said that special arrangements have been made to maintain law and order. “My party (Muslim Conference) will prefer to have an electoral alliance with regional parties.”

In order to conduct timely and transparent polls in the region, he said that the government would provide necessary support and facilities to the EC adding that the government has suggested the commission to adopt modern techniques to make the poll process fair and transparent.Islamabad, 

He said that special arrangements have been made to maintain law and order situation in the region. He said that his party (Muslim Conference) would prefer to have an electoral alliance with regional parties. He however did not rule out the option of forging alliance with other non state political parties.

With regard to external influence Khan expressed the hope that the federal as well as provincial governments will demonstrate highest degree of responsibility and political maturity thereby lending due support to have transparent polls in the territory. He said in presence of a vibrant media policy of coercion was not going to work at all. He warned that interference/ meddling by the non-state political parties would not only harm the integrity of the state but would also be detrimental to Pakistan’s principled stance on Kashmir.

Lauding his father’s role he said that Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan has played great role in strengthening democracy and establishing democratic institutions in the region.

Terming resumption of peace talks as a positive development he hoped that Kashmiris would be made a part of the dialogue process to seek solution of the long-pending dispute peacefully.