All registered political parties including PTI eligible to take part in polls: Pakistan PM Kakar

Responding to a query on the return of Nawaz Sharif, who has announced that he will come back from London on October 21 after self-exile of about four years, he said the former premier would be treated according to the law of the land.

Islamabad: Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has made it clear that all political parties duly registered with the election commission would be eligible to take part in the upcoming election. His statement comes as doubts were being expressed about the fate of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former premier Imran Khan.

With clouds hanging over the political future of 71-year-old Khan, who is in jail over alleged violation of secret laws of the country, some political pundits feared a ban on his party for the May 9 violence. However, Kakar told the media in Peshawar on Friday that his government was in no mood to stop from participating in the election any political party which was duly registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Every political party registered with the ECP is entitled to file [nomination papers] for its candidate, he said. The ECP has announced that general elections will be held in the last week of January. Kakar said the interim government was determined to provide a level playing field to every party by holding polls as soon as the ECP comes out with a date for it.

Responding to a query on the return of Nawaz Sharif, who has announced that he will come back from London on October 21 after self-exile of about four years, he said the former premier would be treated according to the law of the land. Kakar also ruled out talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which has recently increased its militant activities.

We have no intention to talk to the TTP. They are killing our children and we will kill them, he said of the terror group. To a query on Afghan refugees, he said that Afghan nationals who are residing in Pakistan illegally would be sent back. However, he expressed a desire to have healthy ties with Kabul by following a cross-border movement based on globally established principles for visas and passports.

He also said that not all Afghans but a fraction of Afghan nationals were involved in adverse activities like militancy. Kakar during the visit to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province was briefed on the overall security situation in the province. (PTI)