News
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Don’t be ‘partial’: Khoso
* Khoso tells interior minister caretaker ministers and the government machinery not only should conduct itself impartially but also seen to do so* Habib says his statement about Nawaz was made with ‘good intentions’
By Farooq Awan
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (r) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Saturday summoned Interior Minister Malik Habib to the Prime Minister’s House and sought an explanation for his statement about Nawaz Sharif and his party.
Habib landed himself in the middle of a political controversy last week when he, in his televised comments, called Nawaz Sharif the only national leader in the country. His statement sparked an outcry by all the major political parties including PPP, MQM, PML-Q and the PTI, who demanded his removal from the caretaker cabinet and threatened to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over his ‘partial’ posture towards the PML-N.
The prime minister reminded the interior minister that the interim government and the cabinet should act impartially as they have been mandated to ensure free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
“The mandate of the caretaker government is not only to ensure free, fair, transparent and credible elections but also to maintain a conducive environment. It is, therefore, necessary that the caretaker government, its ministers and the whole machinery not only conducts itself impartially but also is seen to be doing so.”
The interior minister explained to the prime minister that his statement about Nawaz Sharif was made with ‘good intentions’. “My expression has created an impression which was not intended,” he said.
Habib told the prime minister that he had reached out to all the political parties and had maintained contacts with them without any discrimination.
Khoso told the minister that the caretaker government was obliged to conduct the affairs of the government in the run up to the elections in a way that no one could point fingers at its integrity and the impartiality.
The ECP had taken notice of the ‘partiality’ of the caretaker minister and had written a letter to the prime minister to take appropriate action against Habib. “As you are aware that the ECP is under constitutional obligation to organise and conduct the elections and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that elections are conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law, therefore, (this matter) can damage this noble national cause as it is against the mandate and purpose of setting interim governments primarily meant for ensuring conduct of free and fair elections,” the letter read.
No announcement was made about the acceptance or rejection of Malik Habib’s ‘explanation’. However, sources said, the Prime Minister’s House will be sending a reply to the ECP on the matter in a day or two.
Sources said that the prime minister has directed all the members of his cabinet to avoid commenting on political issues. “The caretaker government, its ministers and the government machinery should focus all their energies for holding general elections in a free, fair and transparent manner instead,” he told his team.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has ordered the federal Interior Ministry and the provincial governments to provide foolproof security to political leaders and the candidates contesting the forthcoming general election.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk