World News | Pak Parliament Summoned to Discuss Economic Crisis and Upcoming Elections in Punjab Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provinces
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Pakistan Parliament began its joint session on Wednesday to discuss a raft of key issues plaguing the country, including political instability, economic meltdown and the upcoming provincial elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Islamabad, Mar 22 (PTI) Pakistan Parliament began its joint session on Wednesday to discuss a raft of key issues plaguing the country, including political instability, economic meltdown and the upcoming provincial elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
The federal government decided to hold a joint sitting after the ruling parties met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on March 20 to deliberate the ongoing political and economic situation, amid the prolonged anti-government defiance by former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
According to the agenda, the session is taking up eight key issues: law and order and terrorism, economic policy, respect for national institutions, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), population explosion, climate change impacts and foreign policy.
Though the upcoming provincial elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces were not clearly mentioned in the agenda.
The opening speech by interior minister Rana Sanaullah showed that the government was interested to use the parliament for delaying the provincial elections to hold them along with the general elections, scheduled in August.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had ruled that elections must be held in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies.
Subsequently, the Election Commission announced election in Punjab on April 30, while the date for polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has not been decided.
The assemblies in Punjab and KP were dissolved on Jan 14 and 18 respectively.
Sanaullah said the federal government is committed to hold elections in 90 days but the deadline had been missed and now the two provincial elections should be held together with the general elections.
"Have polls not been delayed beyond 90 days in the past," he said.
The minister urged the parliament to take a decision on the elections in two provinces with “wisdom and foresight” as the country was facing a “fitna” (mischief) by Khan who desired chaos.
He said that the outcome of the provincial elections would impact the polls in the centre and violate the principle of fair and free elections.
Sanaullah also spoke at length about Khan and demanded that the parliament give “full powers” to law enforcement agencies to control armed groups and terrorists in the country.
Later, the session was adjourned to meet again on March 27 when the ruling coalition is expected to pass several key resolutions.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)