Imran govt decided to hold next polls under new census: Ahsan

LAHORE: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has said that Imran Khan’s cabinet had made the decision that the next elections would be held in the light of results of the new census.

He said the census results will be compiled till 30th April and then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will take four months for carrying out delimitations and this process will be completed in August and the assemblies will also complete their tenure in August. He said the election will be held within 60 days after completion of the tenure of assemblies, which is October 2023.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Saturday, Ahsan Iqbal said that Imran Niazi secured an NRO through former chief justice Supreme Court of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and was imposed on the country. He said that in 2018, a government, which had no experience, capability and capacity, was brought in the country.

Ahsan Iqbal said that no politics could be done on economy and peace. He said the coalition government is committed to taking all necessary tough decisions for bringing the country out of crisis, adding that Pakistan will be turned around in the next two to three years and will be put back on the journey of progress in next years as it was progressing in 2017-18.

He said that there is no existence of technocrat government in the Constitution. During the last four years, the overall economic potential was destroyed and 80 percent debt of Pakistan’s whole history was taken in these four years. He said that in 2017, we used to pay Rs1,700 billion in the form of debt servicing, adding that this burden has reached near Rs5,000 billion in 2022-23; the PTI government has made threefold increase in this form.

Ahsan Iqbal said that today practically all the resources of the federal government are going into the payment of debts and for all other expenditures, there is a need for securing more debts, adding that whether this situation is acceptable for an independent country. He said that if Pakistan has to make progress, then there is no room for terrorism and extremism in the country, adding that Pakistan is a constitutional country and if any group did not recognise the Constitution of Pakistan, then there is no room for it in Pakistan.

Ahsan Iqbal said the government was making all out efforts for revival of the country’s economy. He said the coalition government has accepted the restoration of the country’s economy as a major challenge. He said the government is serving in the best interest of the nation.

The planning minister said no country had shown concern over Pakistan’s economic conditions. He said that he had not heard from any Indian media or enemy that Pakistan was going to collapse or default, adding that Imran Khan and the PTI leadership are continuously waging a psychological war against Pakistan.

He claimed that the people of Punjab had given their mandate to PMLN in 2018 election but this mandate was snatched and the people of Punjab were punished in the form of Usman Buzdar and Punjab’s administrative capability and progress were destroyed. Ahsan Iqbal said better results will start coming from next year. He said that globally 2023 is also being termed as a tough year financially, so we have to move forward more cautiously.