LAHORE - Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari on Sunday said the interim government was vigilant and going to hold general elections in a peaceful environment.

Police and other law enforcing agencies are playing their part in dealing with the anti-social elements, he said. He said that arrangements are being finalized to hold the elections according to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Askari said it was government’s responsibility to provide safe and peaceful environment to people so that they can use their right to vote without any fear. He said the caretaker government was taking all out steps to serve people and provide them with better facilities. He said that general elections hold a significant place in the history so every person needs to play his role in this regard. He said that police and other law enforcement agencies are effectively doing their duty to curb the menace of terrorism in Punjab. He said the interim government was non-political and “we will prove it by our actions”.

BLACK DAY

On the instructions of Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari, a black day was observed all over Punjab on Sunday to remember the martyrs of Bannu and Mastung.

Askari said that loss of precious human lives in Mastung was a national loss and the entire nation was standing in solidarity with the bereaved families in this hour of anguish. He said the Punjab government also expressed solidarity with the mourning families. “We pay tribute to the sacrifices of the martyrs,” he said.

About 200 people were killed and hundreds others injured in three terror attacks in Peshawar, Bannu and Mastung in the last one week or so. Two election candidates, Sardar Siraj Raisani and Haroon Bilour were also among the victims.

On Saturday, Askari said that Mastung and Bannu blasts were a conspiracy of anti-Muslim elements to destabilise Pakistan. He said that nefarious designs of enemies of Pakistan will not be allowed to succeed. Strongly condemning Mastung and Bannu blasts, he said that those spilling the blood of innocent people were in fact enemies of humanity and “these blasts are evil conspiracy against Pakistan”.

He said the interim Punjab government shares grief of the families of the victims and deeply sympathises with them. He said the Punjab government was standing with the families of the victims.

Askari said the Pakistani nation faced terrorism with courage and bravery and it would again face terrorism with the same spirit. He said that people of Pakistan had written a new chapter of history through their unparalleled sacrifices in the war against terrorism, adding that each and every countryman was in the grip of deep grief and sorrow over loss of precious human lives. He said the entire nation shares the grief of the families of the victims.