Polls schedule won’t be affected: PM
Bureau Report

LAHORE—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said election schedule will not be affected in the wake of Karachi bomb explosions and general elections will be held as scheduled.
He said this while talking to the journalists after groundbreaking ceremony of Faisalabad garments city in governor house here Friday. Governor Punjab Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Maqbool, former governor NWFP, Commander (Retd) Khalil Ur Rehman and minister of state for information Tariq Azeem also accompanied Prime Minister.
He said bomb explosions on PPP welcome rally and loss of precious lives were very tragic and condemnable, assuring that the investigations into incident were underway and nothing could be said before completion of investigations, he added.
“The facts would be made public. Making speculations or indulging in blame game ahead of conclusion of investigations is not correct”, he underlined.
He went on to say security plan was worked out by the government in consultation with PPP leadership and PPP was informed about possible threats of attack. “Benazir Bhutto was also informed about it,. It is extremely hard to stop suicide attacker “ he added. Responding to a question he said presidential election had taken place and its notification would be formally released after Supreme Court decision.
“The assemblies are completing their term for the first time in the history of country, Interim governments will be put in place in centre and provinces on November 15 after completion of their tenure by assemblies which will hold fair and transparent elections in the country”, he reiterated. He announced that PML-Q and its allied parties would participate in the election jointly from one platform. “ We have better candidates than other parties for fielding in the elections, he remarked. The performance of PML-Q has remained very good for the nation and country and we will contest elections on this base”, he added.
Replying to another question he said the case of Sharif brothers was different from Benazir Bhutto for the very reason that they had gone abroad through a deal for ten years. However the case was in Supreme Court and the situation would become clear after SC verdict, he underscored.
Replying to a question about US intervention in upcoming general elections and US ambitions about the next government he said Pakistan was an independent and sovereign state and governments are framed after elections here. Electing their representatives is the right of only people of Pakistan, he added. Any country can express its opinion in this respect but only ballot box settles the matters of result, he maintained. “We will not allow any one to interfere in our internal affairs’, he declared.
Responding to a question he said government respected Supreme Court and implements its decisions. The dual offices case was subjudice and our lawyers were hopeful that decision would be positive. “We will accept whatever decision comes”, he added. .