ISLAMABAD: The caretaker chief ministers of the provinces, during a meeting with Prime Minister retired Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso here on Friday, pledged to hold free and fair elections.

Sources in the Prime Minister House told Dawn that Justice Khoso had held the meeting to hear the chief ministers’ opinion on security-related issues in the provinces and how the federal government could help them in this regard.

The law and order situation across the country is a prime concern of the interim set-up. The sources said that the chief ministers looked worried during discussions on the uncertain security conditions.

While Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi was talking to media personnel earlier in the day about the chances of terrorism in the run-up to elections, a suicide bomber attacked an FC convoy in a highly protected area of Peshawar.

Justice Khoso briefed the chief ministers on his meeting with Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and assured them the army would remain alert and provide effective security during elections.

The chief ministers exchanged notes on preparations for elections in their provinces.

The meeting was attended by chief ministers Najam Sethi of Punjab, Zahid Kurban Alvi of Sindh, retired Justice Tariq Parvez of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Barozai of Balochistan.

A senior official privy to the meeting told Dawn that since the prime minister wanted representation of the four provinces in his yet-to-be-formed cabinet, he must have sought suggestions from the chief ministers.

So far only the KP chief minister has appointed his cabinet. It is expected that the other provinces as well as the federal government will complete the task over the weekend.

The official said that after attending the meeting the body language of the chief ministers suggested that they had a fruitful discussion.

According to an official press release, the hour-long meeting took up a number of issues relating to the general elections. Justice Khoso told the chief ministers that the government was committed to holding timely, peaceful, free and fair elections. “General elections are a sacred trust of the people of Pakistan and we have to conduct them in an impartial and transparent manner,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.

He said the chief ministers would have to play an important role in creating a conducive environment in which people could freely exercise their right to vote.

The prime minister assured the chief ministers that the federal government would provide all possible resources needed by the Election Commission of Pakistan for holding the elections.

The chief ministers informed Justice Khoso that they were giving final shape to arrangements to maintain law and order and ensure that political parties and candidates carried out their campaigns and enlightened people on their plans and programmes.