Daily Times

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar said on Sunday that transparent elections would boost the morale of Election Commission of Pakistan and electoral reforms now become necessary for transparent elections.

In order to make next elections fair, he added, the government was working with commitment but the Opposition was becoming an obstacle in the way of free and fair elections despite the fact that election results would come in front of people within few hours through electronic voting machine. He was talking to well-known businessman Gorez Habib Khan, Members of Assembly from Tehreek-e-Insaaf and media here at Governor House. Strengthening the institutions was the top most priority of government for which they were taking practical steps, he added.

The governor said that from the day first, the government was inviting all the political parties to sit together in order to make electoral reforms but opposition was refusing instead of having discussion with government. Still there is time, opposition should negotiate with government to make the next elections transparent, he said.

Sarwar said there was no doubt in it that fingers had been raised on every election that held in Pakistan so far but the PTI government wanted to make the next elections absolutely transparent so that even the losing candidate could not raise a finger on it. Other than electronic machine, he said, there was no option for transparent elections. He said, “We have told the opposition before and saying this again that government is not scared of their long march and threats. The government is not going anywhere before 2023. The elections will be held on time and people will decide with the power of their vote that to which party they want to see in next government.”

Sarwar added that public-private partnership was very important for national progress. The PTI government protected Pakistan from bankruptcy and due to GSP Plus status, Pakistan earned profit of US$ 24 billion so far. “For the solution of business community’s problems, the doors of Governor House are open and the government is addressing them on priority basis,” he added.