Holding peaceful polls was a challange: Askari

LAHORE: Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari has said that holding of peaceful and transparent elections was a daunting task and this challenge has been met with the blessings of Allah Almighty.

He said a level playing field was provided to all the parties to ensure free and transparent elections. The Pakistani people have proved that they are fully conscious with regard to continuity of democracy.

The chief minister said that caretaker government was given the responsibility of holding free and transparent elections and this has been performed honestly. Effective monitoring of elections helped in maintenance of law and order and lakhs of police jawans diligently performed their duties despite harsh weather.

He said that administration in Punjab has given a proof of its professional competence by making best arrangements for elections. Similarly, caretaker Punjab government fulfilled the commitment of neutrality and the promise of holding timely elections in a peaceful environment has also been put across.

He said the whole team of caretaker government performed its duties with commitment and passion and received the reward of hard work and untiring efforts in shape of continuity of democratic process. He said he was also thankful to voters and media for following the code of conduct given by Election Commission of Pakistan.