ISLAMABAD, Mar 5 (APP): Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Friday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government always respected the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and it had no plan to stage protest outside the ECP building.
Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, he said “Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf respect the Election Commission of Pakistan and other institutions and there is no question of staging any protest outside the building of ECP.”
The minister said the ECP was respectable institution and would remain respectable for the government in future too.
He was of the views that institutions should prove their independence and impartiality through actions. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had said in his address to nation that it was the responsibility of the ECP to ensure holding of free, fair and transparent elections and end horse trading.
Fawad Chaudhary said Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that the government and ECP should jointly evolve a mechanism to ensure conducting of free, fair and transparent elections.
“Transparent election is the main pillar of Prime Minister Imran Khan and PTI’s politics,” he added.
He said the credit of introducing impartial umpires in the international cricket went to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He said the PTI wanted to see Election Commission of Pakistan as an independent and powerful institution. He was of the view that actions of the ECP should prove its independence and impartiality.
The minister said the leaked video of Yusuf Raza Gillani’s son and the statement of Marryam Nawaz with regard to offering party tickets to Members of National Assembly in exchange of Senate vote for the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate, were the proofs of rigging.
He said it was also a proof of the rigging that under one-roof, one candidate had won while the other of the same party loosed.
Before the Senate polls, Fawad Chaudhary said that a government delegation had met with the members of ECP and Election Commissioner of Pakistan with the offer of providing assistance in introduction of technology aimed at ensure transparency in the elections.
About the Prime Minister’s vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Saturday, he said about 179 members of PIT and its allied party would repose their trust on Imran Khan on Saturday.
He said there was no legal requirement for the vote of confidence for Prime Minister, but the leaders like Imran Khan could only take such a brave decision.
He said Imran Khan had stated that if the government failed to gather the support of 172 plus members, there was no moral justification for the government to stay in power, adding the PM always accepted the challenges and faced them courageously.
To a question, he disagreed with the impression that the government had given development funds to lawmakers.
Senator-elect Barrister Ali Zafar said the ECP was a constitutional institution and its decisions could be debated and criticized by the citizens, adding the ECP was asked to introduce modern technology for the senate polls, which was refused.
