KARACHI, June 5: Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has ruled out holding of local government election on a non-party basis, saying this will weaken democratic process.

Speaking to journalists during his visit to the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, Mr Kaira severely criticised the Punjab government and Sharif Brothers for insisting on the holding of LG polls on a non-party basis, and advised Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to refrain from pitting his province against the others by pursuing a policy of confrontation with the Centre.

“Sharif Brothers’ stand on LG polls is not only against the provisions of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed between (slain) PPP leader Benazir Bhutto her PML-N counterpart Mr Nawaz Sharif in London, but also detrimental to democratic process and institutions,” he said, and termed LG polls on a non-party basis ‘cancerous for democracy’.

He also asked the Punjab chief minister and PML-N leaders to stop turning assemblies into Akharas and make preparations for the holding of LG polls in Punjab in accordance with the high court ruling on the issue.

He said PPP had resolved to respond to any challenges through constitutional and political means.

“We will not allow holding of LG elections on a non-party basis,” he categorically stated.

Commenting on the popping up of many contentious issues and growing political polarization in the country these days, Mr Kaira said “political temperatures do rise when a government is about to complete its term and general elections are round the corner”.

The minister recounted the PPP-led government’s four-year performance and achievements and said that whatever achieved during this period was thanks to the policy of reconciliation, which not only strengthened federating units instead of federation, but also consolidated the federal system.

Responding to questions concerning the deepening energy crisis, growing unemployment, uncontrolled terrorism, rising inflation and falling economy, Mr Kaira said the PPP-led coalition had inherited these major issues. “These are the real challenges being addressed squarely. And we have made remarkable progress towards resolving them,” he added.

Regarding the energy crisis, he made mention of the Thar coal project, and claimed that had this project been initiated 10 years back, the country might have got rid of loadshedding by now. The government had also taken practical measures towards starting work on the Bhasha dam project, he said.

The minister conceded that unemployment and inflation registered an upward trend across the government’s present term, but attributed the trend ‘shrinking world economy and increasing oil prices in the international market.

“The biggest issue today, however, is energy shortage,” he said, pointing out that the government had inherited Rs400 billion in debts. He blamed the subsidy on power rates for the growing circular debt, saying that electricity cost government Rs12 per unit but it was provided to consumers at a rate of Rs8 per unit. “The government has decided to rid people of power crisis for which Rs186 billion has been allocated in the new budget,” he said.

‘Punjab CM wasting money’

Mr Kaira accused Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of wasting billions of rupees and ‘stealing electricity’ by using illegal connections for the camp offices had had established near the Minar-i-Pakistan, APP adds.

“He has already wasted billions of rupees in his so-called Sasti Roti programme, employment exchange and hydel projects without any gain,” the minister alleged, and said that the chief minister was already running four offices in the province and more and more offices were being added to the camp, burdening the provincial budget.

Newspaper industry workers

The information minister held out the assurance that he would intervene at any stage for the rights of journalists and other newspaper industry workers. “We will do whatever is in your benefit,” he said.

He said President Asif Ali Zardari had urged owners of newspapers to resolve the issues of working journalists.

The government had already taken certain steps for the welfare of journalists which included setting up of an endowment fund, group insurance of journalists and EOBI coverage of media workers, he added.