Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif chairs cabinet meeting to expedite electoral reforms

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today chaired a cabinet meeting to expedite Pakistan's electoral reforms to make future elections fair and transparent in all respects, days after Supreme Court absolved his party of rigging the 2013 general elections.

He said that he believes in politics of values rather than politics of power. It is high time to focus on strengthening democracy for Pakistan's future.

After the judicial commission's report, there needs to be a way forward for further strengthening the democratic system, Sharif was quoted as saying by Dawn.

He chaired a high-level meeting with cabinet members and political leadership of the ruling PML-N party to expedite electoral reforms in order to make future elections fair and transparent in all respects.

Sharif further said that it is now time to show magnanimity and political maturity by all stakeholders of democracy so that the nation's time is not wasted in frivolous disputes and petty squabbles.

The judicial commission constituted by the apex court to investigate claims of rigging by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), concluded that the polls "were in large part organised and conducted fairly and in accordance with the law".

The probe was launched in April after a deal between the government and the PTI led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan who had spearheaded violent protests over alleged fraud in the election that brought Sharif to power for an unprecedented third term as prime minister.

A vindicated Sharif had said the opposition parties did not provide any evidence of the alleged rigging in elections.