Governor rules out mid-term polls

LAHORE:Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has said even if the opposition stages countless long marches, the midterm elections are out of question. The ordinance to stop horse-trading in Senate elections is a reflection of people’s aspirations.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Ch Sarwar said the government wanted transparency in the Senate elections, adding to ensure transparency the government has brought the ordinance and the matter is now in the Supreme Court. The PTI government will respect the verdict of the Supreme Court, he reiterated. The governor said unfortunately, the opposition wants the continuity of horse-trading in the Senate elections while the government wants to eliminate it completely.

The opposition should keep in mind that the elections will be held in 2023 and its protests can’t dislodge the government. It is an irony that, in retrospect, the parties that had opposed horse-trading are now supporting it, he added. Ch Sarwar said that elimination of horse-trading would strengthen democracy and the parliament in Pakistan.

Criticism of the government’s good decisions is a political obligation of the opposition. The attitude of the opposition to drag institutions into politics in every issue is not in the national interest. All institutions are on the same page for development, stability and rule of law but the opposition is wasting time with politics of stubbornness, he said and maintained that Pakistan cannot tolerate protests and chaos. Everyone should put national interest first, he said.

long march: PML-N MPA Hina Pervaiz Butt has said the rulers are scared after the announcement of the final date of the long march by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). In a statement issued here on Tuesday, she said the rulers had failed to stop the skyrocketing inflation which had affected the people, she said. She said people from every walk of life were protesting.