Govt sets the record straight on PM’s polls sans Imran remarks

Info ministry says all parties have equal electoral rights, Kakar’s AP interview ‘misunderstood and misreported’

The caretaker government on Tuesday issued a rejoinder to recent reports regarding comments made by Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar during an interview with the Associated Press (AP).

The government's statement emphasised the importance of equal rights for all political parties to participate in general elections while also clarifying the prime minister's remarks on legal proceedings.

In the rejoinder, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting released the original text from the AP interview to set the record straight. It highlighted Prime Minister Kakar's intention, which was to underscore that while political participation in elections is a fundamental right, legal action for criminal activities is a separate matter.

The government expressed its disappointment that some media outlets had misinterpreted the prime minister's statements to create the false impression that certain individuals or political parties would be barred from participating in the upcoming general elections.

In his interview, Prime Minister Kakar stated, "We are not pursuing anyone on a personal vendetta. But yes, we will ensure that the law is appropriate. Anyone, be it Imran Khan or any other politician who violates, in terms of their political behaviour, the laws of the country, then the restoration of the law has to be ensured. We cannot equate that with … political discrimination."

Also read: HRCP slams Kakar for polls sans Imran remarks

The prime minister also mentioned the importance of holding fair elections, even if some members of a particular party were facing legal charges for unlawful activities such as vandalism and arson, referring to the incidents following Imran Khan's initial arrest in May.

Kakar reassured that those members of Khan's party who had not engaged in unlawful activities would be allowed to participate in the political process and the elections.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reiterated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its leaders are entitled to participate in the elections just like any other political party. It affirmed that there are no obstacles preventing PTI or its leaders from contesting the elections.

Furthermore, the ministry emphasised the principle of equality before the law, emphasising that the legal process would proceed as necessary for anyone currently facing legal charges. It stressed the independence of the courts and the caretaker government's commitment to not exert any influence on judicial proceedings.

The statement also underscored citizens' constitutional right to seek relief from higher judicial forums if they are aggrieved by any order or ruling of a statutory or judicial body.