No restrictions on PTI as political party: caretaker govt

• All registered political parties to have equal opportunities: Solangi.
• Says Interim govt has nothing to do with Nawaz Sharif's return.
• ECP's mandate to announce election date, says caretaler minister.

Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has reassured that there's no restriction on the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and that announcing the election date is not the interim government's mandate.

Expressing confidence in the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) capability — as an autonomous constitutional body — to conduct polls, Solangi said that the elections would be held as per the date announced by the top electoral authority.

Reassuring that all registered political parties including PTI have equal opportunities, the information minister — while speaking to a private TV channel — said that political parties and their leadership have the freedom to give their opinion on any important issue.

"There are no restrictions on PTI as a political party," said Solangi.

Media in Pakistan enjoy freedom and the courts are also free, he said, adding that all registered political parties have equal opportunities and the caretaker government along with the ECP would ensure equal opportunities for all political parties in the upcoming elections.

Commenting on Nawaz Sharif's homecoming on October 21, the caretaker info minister stressed that the interim setup has nothing to do with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo's return.

Nawaz, the three-time former prime minister, has been living in London following a self-imposed exile since November 2019 owing to health reasons. He was disqualified for life in 2017 by the Supreme Court for not declaring a receivable salary.

Solangi said that Nawaz did not flee the country illegally and his return would be dealt with as per the law and the Constitution.

Responding to a question pertaining to the expulsion of illegal foreigners living in the country, the information minister accentuated that no other country in the world had hosted as many refugees during the past four decades as Pakistan has done.

The countries could not survive with soft borders with anybody entering its territory without documentation and living freely and preparing fake passports and identity cards, he said.

The minister said that the people residing illegally in the country should voluntarily leave the country by October 31.

After October 31, he added, such illegal foreigners would be forcibly evicted from the country. “Our aim is to defend our state and our citizens. Our primary responsibility is to defend our citizens and secure our national borders.”

Citing security concerns, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar-led caretaker government had announced its decision to expel 1.1 million foreigners illegally residing in Pakistan.

On the issue of privatisation, the information minister stressed that the process of privatisation was not initiated by the caretaker government, the previous parliament and its elected government decided to privatize various entities.