ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning Development Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal has reiterated the next general elections in the country will be held in October 2023 based on the 7th Digital Population Housing Census 2022.
Addressing the digital media influencers on Tuesday, the Minister said that due to recent floods which badly affected two provinces the elections are not possible before October 2023.
“What message will go to the flood-affected people if elections are announced before the completion of the incumbent government’s term,” said the Minister, while referring to the demand of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan who has been demanding early elections.
Former premier Imran Khan has been demanding immediate elections since his government was removed through a vote of no-confidence in March this year.
The Minister further added that the last general elections were held on the basis of an old census and Sindh province had conditionally agreed to hold the next election of 2023 based on a fresh Digital Census. Therefore, he said that the government will not take any step which makes the whole election controversial.
In April 2023, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) formally handover the Digital Census to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and subsequently ECP will take four months for the delimitation, remarked the Minister, while reiterating that former Prime Minister Imran Khan had endorsed Council of Common Interest CII’s decision to hold next elections will be based on the fresh Digital Census.
While referring to a fabricated story of Daily Mail against Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the Minister said the premier immediately took action against the newspaper as a result they tendered an apology.
Furthermore, the Minister said that since the government came into power, several projects have been started which were stopped by the previous government as during the last four years no progress was made in CPEC projects.
The incumbent government has restarted the dredging of Gwadar International Airport, which was stopped by the previous government. Similarly, two transmission lines for Gwadar have been resumed and it will be functional in January 2023.
While referring to the Islamabad Metro Bus Project, the Minister said that the previous government deliberately delayed the project despite it was close to completion. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif soon after taking charge had released the funds and the Metro Bus has functional and accommodating millions of commuters in twin-cities, he added. Professor Iqbal further added that global recession has also badly affected developed countries and-Pakistan is the country that has been facing its negative impact after Covid-19.
The minister also highlighted the negative impact of polarized society in which former prime minister Imran Khan played a key role. “There is a dire need for solidarity and unity as the country cannot progress with a polarization mindset,” he added.
