DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Aug 08 (APP): Special Assistant to Prime Minister Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is desirous of timely elections in the country.
Talking to the media here at PID Regional Office, the special assistant said that PPP was willing to conduct elections within 60 to 90 days.
He said all the political parties should participate in the electoral process and respect the people’s mandate.
Faisal Karim Kundi, who is also the Central Information Secretary of PPP, said his party was strongly against the ban on any political party.
He was of the view that victory and defeat were part of politics, however, the fear of defeat does not suit political parties to run away from democratic process and elections.
He vowed to continue his struggle for the development of Dera Ismail Khan, saying, “The PPP has countless services to its credit as far as the development of DI Khan is concerned while it was left bereft of several public serving entities during the PTI regime.”
But now, he said, the regional offices of several key organizations such as PID, Pakistan Television (PTV) and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) had been restored here with his hectic efforts.
He said that by inaugurating the PID regional office, another promise made to the local journalists has been fulfilled, adding, it was a good omen for the local journalist community.
In this process, he said, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Maryum Aurangzeb extended her full support.
The special assistant said the caretaker government will hold its responsibilities within a few days.
He hoped that the new caretaker government would ensure the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections along with the election commission.
About the BISP, he said 11 Dynamic Survey Offices other than Tehsil offices have been inaugurated in Dera Ismail Khan.
About China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, he said it was a blessing for the country and former President Asif Ali Zardari was the founder of that project.
He regretted that due to the incompetence of the previous government, no interchange was built on the CPEC route in Tehsil Paniala.
Kundi informed that he had written a letter to the Federal Minister for Communications and National Highways and Motorways Chairman to build an interchange on the CPEC route at this tehsil headquarters.
He expressed serious concerns over the issues being faced by the local business community. He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were paying 23 per cent property tax while the people of Punjab and Sindh were paying 5 and 3 per cent property tax respectively.
Due to heavy taxation, the businessmen, he said chose other ways of transactions and many of them were shifting their businesses to other provinces.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a terrorism-affected province and the extra taxation should be removed, adding, he had also written a letter to the Governor and Chief Minister in that regard.
Faisal Kundi said he would request the prime minister to release funds for the development schemes which the premier inaugurated in Dera Ismail Khan during his recent visits.
He said that the passport counters would be established at all the NADRA offices at the tehsil level in Dera Ismail Khan.
About the possibility of seat adjustments by the allying parties in the upcoming general elections, the PPP information secretary said his party would contest elections from all the constituencies however the final decision would be taken by the party leadership in this regard.
He vowed that the next prime minister of the country will be Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
About the finalization of the name for the caretaker prime minister, he said the difference of opinion was the beauty of the democracy.
The special assistant said his party was not in favour of the ban on any political party.
However, he said, whoever was involved in May 9 incident should be punished under the law.
He mentioned that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari categorically stated in his National Assembly speech that all the political parties should jointly work for moving the country forward by setting aside their political differences.
Earlier, PID Regional Office In-charge Muhammad Fazlur Rehman along with his other staff warmly welcomed Faisal Karim Kundi on his arrival.
On this occasion, the special assistant was accompanied by Tehsil Nazim Paharpur Makhdoom Syed Altaf, Former President of the District Bar Association Qaizar Khan Miankhel and other dignitaries of the area.