LONDON: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has assured that everyone is equal before the law and no exclusive approach will be applied to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his workers in relation to the May 9 attacks on Pakistan Army installations.
The interim premier spoke to students on Tuesday at the Oxford University’s Oxford Union and also addressed Pakistani media at the completion of his whirlwind tour of the US and UK.
“We commit to a fair election that includes giving the PTI space in those elections on an equal basis. It is the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) prerogative to give the date and we will stick to it. There is no doubt about that,” PM Kakar emphasised.
When asked about several PTI leaders and the former premier facing serious charges of arson, terrorism and the state of human rights and media freedoms, he said that those in prisons or being prosecuted have been involved in acts of vandalism, arson, destruction of public property and such elements in any civilised state would face such charges.
The caretaker prime minister further said that no exclusive approach would be applied to Imran Khan and the PTI as everyone is equal before the eyes of the law, and nobody is above the law and none can be allowed to play with laws of the land for political reasons.
He regretted that the PTI didn’t join parliamentary politics.
“If they were playing the parliamentary politics then Imran Khan will be the current opposition leader.”
He said that press freedom generally is curbed everywhere from India to Pakistan and elsewhere but “what I can explain and assure is that every criticism appears in Pakistani press. We are not using any leverage to influence the media. I don’t see that the media in Pakistan is being stifled”.
Premier Kakar agreed that there is some civil and military unbalance in Pakistan but he said that the “larger criticism of the Pakistan Army is not valid and is out of proportion.
“A lot of critics rely on hearsay these days,” he added.
