CM for equal chance to all political parties

Lahore : Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari has directed the authorities concerned to ensure that all political parties get equal chance for election campaign.

He directed the officers while presiding over a meeting to review arrangements for elections, security matters and law and order. The caretaker ministers, secretaries, senior officers from Pak Army, police and other law enforcements institutions also attended the meeting. Dr Hasan Askari stressed the need for conducing fair and free elections. He ordered the authorities to ensure that all political parties get equal chance for election campaign.

He invited the finance minister to talk first, saying, “You talk first because you are to provide funds for elections.’’ All participants smiled at his remarks. Similarly, when the start of dengue season was pointed out, the chief minister smiled and said, “dengue is also ready to show up in elections.’’ The CM maintained the tradition of presiding over the meetings in time.

New advocate general assumes office: The Punjab caretaker government on Saturday appointed senior lawyer Imtiaz Rasheed Siddiqui as the advocate general of Punjab (AGP).

Mr Siddiqui also took charge as the principal law officer after a notification pertaining to his appointment was issued. Previously, Mr Siddiqui was appointed as judge of the Lahore High Court by the PPP government during 2009. However, the Supreme Court had removed him along with many other judges for being appointed with the consultation of the then Chief Justice of Pakistan Abdul Hameed Dogar, who had taken oath under Nov, 3, 2007 PCO promulgated by the then General Pervez Musharraf. The caretaker government on June 20 had removed Advocate General of Punjab Asma Hamid and 10 other law officers appointed by Shahbaz Sharif’s government a few days before the expiry of its constitutional term.

Sources said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had expressed concern over the appointments made by the former government and taken up the matter with Punjab Chief Minister Hassan Askari Rizvi. It was stated that the appointments by the former government were in violation of a ban put by the ECP on April 11, 2018.