LAHORE: Punjab interim Information Minister Ahmed Waqas Riaz has said that political leadership and candidates should adhere to the guidelines given by the local police and cooperate with the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) during the election campaign. He said that political leaders were free to move anywhere they wished to in the province, but the information about the visits must be communicated with the Home Department so that their security could be ensured. The minister said the provincial government had dedicated all resources and energies to provide foolproof security to candidates and political leadership, adding the guidelines by the police shouldn’t be taken as a disruption. Referring to stoppage of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s convoy, the information minister said the convoy was stopped due to security concerns and the intended place of visit by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto was not as per the schedule. Responding to another question, the minister said the caretaker government was committed to ensuring free, fair and transparent elections, as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He reiterated the caretaker government’s resolve to ensure that nobody influences the election results in his official capacity, adding it was impossible to influence elections in the presence of a robust media. The information minister said the government would ensure flow of information to the media persons so that election results reach them at the earliest, adding that the election results were a domain of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). About ensuring compliance of the ECP code of conduct by candidates, the information minister said the district machinery had ensured that candidates comply with the ECP instruction during the election campaign, adding that streamers or banners violating the code of conduct were removed immediately. About monsoon tree plantation, the information minister, who also had the charge of Forest Department, said plantation was vital for survival of the country. He said the Forest Department had launched an awareness campaign to mobilise the youth for creating awareness about importance of trees for the economy and environment of the country. He stressed the need for launching a special campaign to attract people towards planting more and more trees. He said the outdated ways of tree plantation should be averted. To a question, he said tree plantation was a national cause and important for bright economic future of the country. Published in Daily Times, July 16th 2018.