Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi on Thursday held separate meetings with the leadership of different political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Jamaat-i-Islami in a bid to take them into confidence regarding upcoming elections in the province.
Sources said these meetings were part of the efforts of interim Punjab Chief Minister to take political leadership on board about his plan to hold free and fair polls in the province. The PPP and the PML-Q leaders had demanded reshuffling of Shahbaz Sharif's era bureaucracy in Punjab. During the meeting, former deputy Prime Minister and PML-Q leader Chaudhary Parvez Elahi demanded necessary changes in the Punjab administration.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Elahi said free and fair polls through present administration was not possible. He demanded necessary changes in bureaucracy to ensure free and fair polls. He said the chief minister during the meeting held out an assurance that environment for electoral process would be made conducive. To a query, Elahi said the PML-Q and the PPP would contest elections together and all matters were being settled amicably. He said they had finalised seats adjustment in about 65 percent constituencies while the seat of NA-105 was being kept open for the two parties. He said reports regarding differences between the two parties on this issue were baseless.
Earlier, Najam Sethi also met Jamaat-i-Islami Chief Syed Munawar Hassan and discussed various matters concerning general elections with him. On the occasion Hassan called for taking political parties on board in matters pertaining to the elections. Hassan welcomed the appointment of Najam Sethi as Caretaker Chief Minister and assured his full cooperation. He said that Najam Sethi was a competent person and hopefully he would take effective steps for ensuring free and fair elections.
Later, Najam Sethi called on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and discussed various issues concerning free and fair elections with them. Sethi said that he had planed to consult political leaders for holding free, fair and transparent elections.
He said the purpose of his meetings with the political leaders was to seek their views about honest, hard working and the best officers. He said that it was a good omen that no political leader had named any officer with whom he had any personal relation. He said that decision regarding a permanent Inspector General of Police in Punjab was also being made.
Najam Sethi said that he had talked to Chief Election Commissioner on telephone regarding changes in bureaucracy and this process would be completed within a week. Caretaker Chief Minister said that the caretaker cabinet will be formed within two to three days and would comprise five to six ministers while a few more ministers will be added if required. He said that the members of caretaker cabinet would be political persons.
He said that holding of free, fair and transparent elections is the mandate of caretaker set-up and this national responsibility would be discharged as a sacred obligation. He said that the positive proposals were put forward in the meetings with the political leaders and the leaders of all political parties had stressed the need for posting of honest, hardworking and neutral administration and creating a peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of elections so that the voters could exercise their right of franchise freely.
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