CM takes oath amid vows of free and fair elections

Says ensuring a level playing field is among his top priorities

LAHORE: Renowned academician Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi took oath of the office of caretaker chief minister of Punjab at the Governor’s House on Friday.

Punjab Governor Malik Rafique Rajwana administered the oath to Dr Askari. Earlier, Dr Askari held a meeting with the Punjab governor. Later in the day, the he was presented a guard of honour upon arrival at the Chief Minister’s office.

He held meetings with officers and other staff members at the CM office. After meeting with staff, Dr Askari called it a day at the office and left before Friday prayers. He has requested for minimum security and did not move in his official cavalcade while leaving for a private engagement.

In a statement issued by the CM office, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Askari has said the holding of free and fair elections was the top priority and the responsibility of the caretaker setup. He said that a level playing field for all would be ensured and the administration would play its role in an impartial manner.



He said his mandate was to hold transparent elections. “All the necessary resources will be used to hold general elections in a peaceful and transparent manner,” he said. “I know my obligations and all efforts will be put into performing the duty in the best possible manner.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has continued to protest against the Election Commission of Pakistan over the nomination of Dr Askari as the chief minister and demanded that he voluntarily step down to save the polls from becoming controversial. PML-N considers his views, expressed on television channels, and his writings, to be biased and partial.

On the other hand, the Punjab interim chief minister, while giving an interview to a private television channel, said that he is an analyst and his basic responsibility is to highlight the shortcomings of the government; irrespective of the party. He rejected the allegations levelled by PML-N and said that he would prove critics wrong through his actions as chief minister. He said that as CM, his job would be to provide a level playing field to all political parties. He said that his government would assist the election commission in all manners possible.

He said that for elections, a basic framework would be drawn out by the ECP and the caretaker setup would assist accordingly. He said that necessary changes would be brought in Punjab’s bureaucracy to ensure a free and fair election in the province.

The interim CM is expected to handpick his small cabinet in a week’s time. During his brief stint in the office, the CM will continue to use his private residence.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2018.