Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has dismissed allegations that his government was biassed against some political parties, underlining that holding general elections and handing over responsibilities to the elected government was his utmost priority.
Reacting to concerns voiced by two major political parties about the “transparency” of the upcoming general election in Pakistan, Kakar on Sunday night said the “victim card” could be a “narrative” of any political party.
Pakistan is going to the polls on February 8 next year.
As the general elections draw closer, former prime minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and former president Asif Ali Zardari-led Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have repeatedly been complaining that they are being denied a level-playing field in the run-up to polls.
The two mainstream parties alleged the caretaker government was giving “preferential treatment” to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and that attempts were being made to pave the way for PML-N’s return to power.
Earlier, PPP Vice-President Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had complained about his party never receiving a level playing field, saying the PPP had been persistently voicing concerns regarding the absence of equal opportunities to prove itself ahead of the polls.
On the other hand, amid reports of minus Imran Khan elections, the PTI had also accused the interim government of denying them a level playing field.
The PTI chairman is behind bars in Adiala Jail and his party’s leadership claims that they are not allowed to run even an election campaign.
In a bid to clear the air, Kakar in an interview with the Geo News on Sunday night said: “Holding the elections at the earliest is our utmost priority.”
“We want to hand over the responsibilities to the [upcoming] elected government,” he said.
Responding to a question about the allegations levelled against his government by the two mainstream parties, the premier asked: “What have we done that (a negative) impression is being given that we have a biassed (attitude against) any political party?”
He asked if his government had “imprisoned the former Prime Minister (Imran Khan)?”
Kakar further clarified that the deposed prime minister—who was removed from office in April last year via a no-confidence motion— was apprehended before the caretaker setup was formed in August.
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