ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Ali Zafar has said that the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is abroad to attend his ailing wife and it is not appropriate time to consider the issue of putting his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) right now; however, when he returns the issue may be taken up.
Talking to media representatives in Islamabad on Thursday, Syed Ali Zafar said that it is the Cabinet that decides the issue of putting names of a person on the ECL.
The minister said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested to put the names of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on the ECL. He said that a Committee has already been working including interior, finance and information ministers to consider the issue.
In replying to a question, he said that the allegations by any political party on a public official for biasness needs to be given due consideration.
Syed Ali Zafar said that it is a Constitutional obligation and duty of the caretaker government to hold elections on time. He said that the caretaker setup is effectively working to conduct fair, free and transparent elections in the Country.
The minister said that urgent decisions are being taken in consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure an impartial election.
The information minister said that there should be no confusion over the issue of holding free, fair and transparent elections. He said that security forces are deployed on sensitive polling stations in order to conduct the elections peacefully.
