Govt to support ECP in holding elections

'Main mandate of caretaker government is to provide all-out assistance to ECP for free, fair polls'

PESHAWAR:

Caretaker Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division Syed Jamal Shah here on Saturday said that the caretaker government would fulfil its constitutional obligations by extending all-out support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding free and transparent elections in the country.

The minister said that the main mandate of the caretaker government was to provide all-out assistance to the ECP for the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in all provinces of the country.

He expressed the hope that the ECP would soon announce the date for the general elections.

Talking to the media during his visit to Radio Pakistan Peshawar, the minister said that the broad daylight attack on Radio Pakistan and the APP Offices on May 10 was an unpardonable crime and demanded strict action against the attackers.

He praised PBC employees for speedily restoring its transmission after the attack.

The minister said that he would request the federal minister for information and broadcasting to rehabilitate the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building as quickly as possible and assured full support to PBC on behalf of his ministry.

He added that he had in the past had a close association with Radio Pakistan and had served at the PBC Quetta station.

He said there were politicians who had spent 30 years in jails but their workers had never attacked national organizations, adding a social media party had been exposed before the masses after the May 9 vandalism.

He said that the vandalism of that day had hurt him the most, adding that the miscreants had set on fire and destroyed rare archives of music and drama transcripts and other historical PBC footage, thus inflicting a catastrophic loss on the national broadcaster.

Syed Jamal Shah further said that the vandals had planned the attack on the national broadcaster in a bid to silence its voice but had failed in their nefarious designs.

He termed Pakistan a unique country with immense cultural and linguistic diversity as well as a rich history, and suggested that a three to five-day international conference be held on its diversity and heritage to educate and inform people, especially the youth.

For this purpose, he underlined the need for the use of digital media tools, including videos and documentaries, to disseminate information among youth which he said was imperative for a knowledge-based tolerant society.

He said that awareness was a source of strength and helped in accurate decision-making, adding violence and intolerance were harmful for political and economic stability as well as for democracy.

He stressed the need to work for mutual coexistence and national harmony. He said Pakistan was our country that had given us everything, including our identity, and that every challenge could be countered by working for its prosperity and development.

The minister said the hoarding of dollars for monetary gain was one of the reasons for the country’s shabby economic situation and urged people to avoid stashing dollars and to instead tirelessly work for the country’s economic prosperity.

Jamal Shah also said our poets, artists and writers believed in sharing their knowledge with the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2023.