General elections will be free and fair: Durrani 

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, said that the coming elections would be free and fair and to be held under the independent election commission .He was speaking at an Iftar Dinner he hosted for the journalists at a local hotel on Sunday.The Minister said that the Election Commission would work with complete independence. He stated that people from around the world would be invited to watch these polls. Senator Durrani said that he understands that the people would like to vote for President Pervez Musharraf and the continuation of the present government's policies. He stated that this continuation of policies would take the country forward and that the national resources would be utilized for the betterment of the people of the country.
The Minister declared that we are building a society and an environment wherein the people who dwell here get their basic as well as political rights and would get all the safeguards, which is the right of citizen.
However, he declared that no one would be allowed to question the solidarity of Pakistan and that nobody would be allowed to criticize those institutions that guard the solidarity and integrity of the country. He made it clear that those who did came up with such a criticism were not acknowledged by the people in the past. Senator Durrani said that it should be known that Pakistan and those institutions that defend the country and its solidarity and integrity are above criticism. He stated that the government and its functionaries may however be criticized for their actions if need be. The Minister also pointed out that the opposition in the country seems to be quite confused now. He said that the future of PML (N) in the ARD appears to be doubtful and that a number of questions are arising about this. Senator Durrani said that stresses are also there as far as the ties of Jamat-i-Islami and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal are concerned. He pointed out that in the general political situation, the opposition seems to be deprived of direction and destination. The Minister said that opposition is an important part of the democratic system and it is our desire that the opposition should put its house in order, shun the practice of opposition for the sake of opposition, and adopt the politics of Pakistan and that of the interest of the country.