Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday warned against creating anarchy in the country as several political parties staged protests in different parts of the country over alleged rigging in the polls.
“Despite challenges, the continuation of democratic process is welcome development. The elections were held peacefully despite security challenges,” he said while addressing a press conference in connection with the February 8 polls.
He said security agencies played a key role in maintaining law and order in the country. “We will not let anyone to spread anarchy in the country,” the caretaker PM vowed.
Anwaarul Haq Kakar has lamented the premature announcement of election results by media houses, saying that there was a projection of “unverified figures” in the process.
“Does anyone know how long did it take to count the votes in the General Elections 2024?” he asked. “We compiled the results in 36 hours. In 2018, it took 66 hours [to count the votes].”
“These things happen in real time and one needs to be reasonable we need to follow the set procedures and that is what is democracy,” the premier said.
PM Kakar has said he believes the general elections were held in a “free and fair manner”.
“We did not have any institutional mechanism either in fear or favour of an entity, political group or individual,” he said, adding the same was the stated policy of the caretaker government.
Regarding complaints of irregularities in the electoral process, the premier said a procedure pertaining to that had been provided by the Parliament. “But I agree that the future Parliament should focus more on the electoral process, the system of balloting and rest of the issues affiliated with it.
“I personally feel we should have a more robust and financially independent election commission,” PM Kakar added.
Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said that dialogue and legislation were needed to make the electoral process acceptable to prevent allegations regarding “interference by institutions” and manipulation by political parties.
PM Kakar added that he was a strong advocate of legislation to “settle” Pakistan’s democratic process.
