Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday sought to quash the speculations about any move to extend the tenure of the National Assembly, stating categorically that the government was committed to completing its tenure as per the Constitution.
Tarar’s statement at an event held by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) was supported by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, who told journalists in Lahore that a caretaker set-up would take over in August.
In Islamabad, the Pildat forum discussed ‘How Prepared is the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for Holding Free and Fair General Election’. Special ECP’s Secretary, Zafar Iqbal, told the forum they were ready to hold a free and fair general election this year.
In his speech at the Pildat forum, the law minister said the government had a clear resolve, and was committed to completing its tenure along with the assemblies within the constitutional framework in the coming August.
“The time period and method given in the Constitution about the completion of assembly’s tenure, caretaker set-up and extending the required legislative support to the ECP for holding free, fair and timely elections will be followed,” he said.
“The government will abide by the laws and the Constitution and the national and two remaining provincial assemblies – Sindh and Balochistan – will be dissolved when their five-year constitutional term ends in August,” he categorically stated.
“The government will go when its tenure is complete,” Tarar said, adding that the rest was up to the ECP. He stressed that the ECP should give people “the kind of elections” the lawmakers had envisioned while making the laws.
