Will dissolve assembly if party asks so: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the country and democracy need timely general elections.

Speaking in the Geo News programme Jirga, the prime minister said his office required taking difficult decisions and there were huge responsibilities. "I have spent some 30 years in the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif has been my leader since the day one," he said, adding that decisions were made by the cabinet whereas Nawaz handed over powers and sought results. He said the next elections would be held on time as the country and democracy needed timely elections.

He said there was no threat to Senate elections and they would be held on due time. "All political parties want the democratic process to continue," he said and added he did not believe in conspiracies, but, unfortunately, conspiracies were hatched against democracy. "If my party asks me to dissolve the assembly, I will. But I won't do so under pressure by someone," Abbasi said.

In response to Indian propaganda against the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said New Delhi had been waging propaganda against the multi-billion dollar project from the very beginning.

Speaking about Pakistan-US relations, he said the dialogue process between the two nations was ongoing at every level. "A US delegation visited Pakistan, while a delegation from here also visited the United States." He said dialogue with the US military was still ongoing, despite Trump statement. "We are a sovereign state and do not want any act to occur that could deteriorate the regional situation," he said and added: "We are bound to safeguard our borders."