FAISALABAD   -  Former prime minister and Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf on Wednesday said that fair, free and transparent elections were imperative to put the country on road to progress in addition to restoring the trust of general public on elected government. 

Addressing a press conference dur­ing his visit to District Secretariat of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) at Sa­mundri Road here, he said that 8th February was fixed for general elec­tions. Hence all political parties should participate in the elections by ensuring its complete transparency, he added.

He said that people were the real strength of the country and they should be let to exercise their right of vote to elect a democratic government which was imperative to drag the country out of multifaceted crises in addition to put it on road to progress and prosper­ity. Responding to a question, he said that delay in 8th February’s general elections was a personal opinion of Maulana Fazlur Rehman which could not be acceptable logically. He said that the Constitution of Pakistan made it compulsory to hold general elections within 90 days after dissolution of the assembly but it was delayed only due to digital census followed by delimita­tion. On which grounds the elections would be delayed now when the pro­cess of census and delimitation was completed and sufficient funds were released to the Elections Commission of Pakistan, he questioned.

He said that casting vote was the fun­damental and constitutional right of the people. If the elections were delayed, it would be tantamount to deprive the general public of their basic right which would reciprocally push the country at verge to collapse, he added. He said that Pakistan was passing through a crucial stage and only elected and non­controversial government could drag it out of prevalent crises by evolving long-term and short-term policies. He said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had completed its initial work to con­test the general elections and it would field most appropriate candidates in all constituencies. The PPP would launch its electioneering when Election Com­mission of Pakistan would release elec­tion schedule, he added. Responding to yet another query, he said the PDM was need of the hour as there was no option other than coalition government to save the country from default and PDM experience remained successful which not only saved the country but also put its economy on right track. He said the PPP was a pro-people party as it always undertook public welfare and betterment agenda and on the basis of its previous performance it would con­test the general election and emerge as victorious. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also expected to visit Faisalabad during this month, he added. Former federal minister Rana Farooq Saeed Khan, Hasan Murtaza, District President PPP Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmad and others were also present on the occasion.