Political parties urged to participate in general elections
By Khalid Amin

SLAMABAD—Caretaker Minister for Information Technology Dr. Abdullah Riar has said political parties should fully participate in the January 8 general elections to strengthen the democratic institutions in the country. Talking to APP, he hoped that no political party would boycott the elections as such a move would serve no purpose. He said the government is committed to free, fair and transparent elections so that people can elect their representatives in a conducive environment.
“Almost all the arrested political workers, lawyers and journalists have been released and a congenial environment has been created for all stake holders to contest the polls,” the Minister said.
He said all the political parties have level-playing field and their leaders can run the election campaign.Abdullah Riar said return of former premier Nawaz Sharif from exile was a “positive development” following the earlier homecoming of PPP chairperson and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The presence of the top leaders of both PPP and PML-N is an evidence that the government wants to provide level-playing field to all the parties, he said.
The Minister said the election process is going on according to the schedule and the general election would be held in a free, fair and transparent manner. “We are performing our duties to ensure free and fair elections but if some political parties are talking about boycotting the election, they should review their policies,” he said. He said President Pervez Musharraf has fulfilled his promise of doffing uniform as he is determined to strengthen the democratic process.
Abdullah Riar said the government has taken effective measures to maintain law and order across the country so that the elections are held in a peaceful environment. When asked about any change in IT related policies, he said the IT sector has been getting along well and “we want to pursue the same success story during the caretaker set up.” He said the IT sector has generated a large number of job opportunities, especially for the younger generation, and it is further expanding with the passage of time..