Daily Times

An important consultative meeting of the ruling parties was held at the Prime Minister’s House on Wednesday evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The country’s current situation was reviewed in detail and consultations were held on future strategies on constitutional and legal issues.

The meeting, after consulting on the previously stated position of holding general elections on the same day under the caretaker governments as per the constitutional procedure, unanimously decided to convene a meeting after Eid-ul-Fitr so that the already initiated national consultation process with political parties both inside and outside the Parliament could be taken to the next stage and in this context the finalization of the strategy can be agreed upon.

The meeting made it clear that the process of consultation and negotiations regarding the holding of the election is going on among the coalition parties, for which the prime minister has already formed a committee. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PDM chief Fazlur Rehman’s meeting is also part of this process. Moreover, the meeting of the Jamaat-e-Islami chief with the prime minister is also a part of the same process.

The meeting reiterated that political parties that believe in the constitution, democracy and the constitutional right of the people to vote fully believe in holding elections. “As politicians, we have never closed the door of dialogue to anyone, nor can any democrat do so.”

The coalition government has always expressed its willingness to engage in meaningful, serious and constitutionally mandated negotiations. Ensuring free, transparent and impartial elections is a fundamental constitutional requirement.

The meeting reiterated its resolve to ensure all the essentials of the elections, which result in elections being acceptable to all parties and the country not facing any new political instability.