Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar has reiterated his government's commitment to ensuring an inclusive electoral process for the upcoming general elections early next year, according to reports.
Kakar, according to the reports, emphasised that none of the country's political parties would be excluded from the poll process unless there was a legal problem with any of them.
His comments came days after some of the leaders of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Lahore. The arrested PTI leaders have been identified as former provincial ministers Kamran Bangash and Anwar Zeb Khan.
Upon returning from China, the caretaker Prime Minister made an important speech to the press, discussing the significant matters of bilateral and international importance that were deliberated with the Chinese leadership.
He also stressed the importance of having a smooth and fair electoral process.
The Prime Minister said that the date and full schedule of the forthcoming elections would be announced soon. A few weeks earlier, he had said that the announcement of the election date would be the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the reports said.
Discussing the matter of Nawaz Sharif, the leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), returning to Pakistan following his voluntary exile in London for four years, Kakar emphasised the importance of his political opponents engaging him in constructive political competition for the betterment of the country's political system.
Kakar also discussed various other issues, including his recent China visit, signed MOUs and other matters of politics and administration, the reports said.