The first-ever contact of the interim set up with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf surfaced on Tuesday as reported by the local media which claimed the meeting took place between Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi and PTI’s Shafqaat Mahmood in Lahore.
The information ministry, however, has not so far issued any statement on the meeting, but the minister’s activity suggested the increase in contacts of the interim set up with the political parties for ensuring peaceful and democratically friendly environment for the upcoming general elections.
The minister himself reiterated many a times in his interaction that the interim government desired to have good relations with all the political parties which are crucial to free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
According to reports, the meeting between the two leaders discussed pathways for the level-playing to all the registered political parties prior before the general elections.
The PTI wanted “broader national reconciliation”, the minister was told in the meeting which called upon the interim set up to uphold transparent electoral process.
“The credibility and acceptance of the upcoming polls among the populace would be at stake,” the PTI leader said while expressing concern over indiscriminate behaviour to his party in some instances as compared to the others.
There is another side of the story as an insider told that though the PTI owned Shafqat Mahmood but his credibility downgraded among other party leaders due to his absence from the scene since May 9 incidents which put many PTI leaders on the back foot.
Meanwhile, in a similar development, the information minister had held a meeting with Jamaiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl Chief Fazlur Rehman.
According to the information ministry’s statement, the meeting discussed matters of mutual interest including upcoming election.
