LAHORE: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi said on Monday that he has no intention to extend his tenure, but he clarified that it is the job of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to give the date of the elections.
In a meeting with senior journalists and Beat reporters, Naqvi said: “We are ready to hold free and fair elections in the province.” The Chief Minister said that he will be the happiest person to leave the government as soon as the elections are held.
He said that he was performing his duties under the ECP guidelines, adding that recent transfers and appointments in the province were made on the orders of the electoral body.
Responding to a question about the threat of terrorism in Punjab, the caretaker chief minister said that the government is enhancing the capabilities of the already effective Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in the province. He added that the government had bought new cameras for the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, saying that 50 percent of the cameras installed were not working properly.
On a question about settling Afghan refugees in the province, Naqvi said that the Punjab government has no such plan. He added that they have started operations to find Afghan nationals living in the province without verified documents.
The interim chief minister also expressed deep sorrow over the demise of veteran actor, director and host Zia Mohiuddin. He prayed for the soul of the deceased and the bereaved family.
In response to a question regarding the Nankana Sahib incident, he expressed his determination that the trial of the accused would be completed within the next two months.
Naqvi emphasized that his priority is to improve the life of the common man in every field.
