Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said the federal cabinet stressed the need to start a trial of the people involved in the Sialkot lynching case at the earliest and they be punished in line with the law.
After post-cabinet briefing, the minister said that unity among all political and religious parties and religious leaders and also the government’s response to the Sialkot lynching proves that “we are not India”.
“The state is responsible to provide protection to every citizen including minority and we adhere to this principle,” the information minister said.
Violence against Muslims takes place “every now and then” in India and no one bats an eye, but in Pakistan, the entire nation stands unified against such acts, the information minister said.
Chaudhry said the cabinet and the Pakistani nation have condemned the Sialkot incident, as he revealed that the government would “get the chance” to take steps to curb vigilantism, which could not happen earlier.
Through another agenda item, the information minister said that the cabinet was briefed on electronic voting machines and it stands very clear on the matter: the Election Commission of Pakistan should make sure it is satisfied, on the other hand, whether it is ECP or Opposition, they should first understand what this system is and why are of the view that it will smoothen the polling process.
“If you criticize and reject [EVMs] without understanding them, that is where the problem arises. But if you say that you need time to contemplate on it, it is fine,” he said.
The minister told the ECP that it had laid down 27 conditions for the EVMs, so it should issue a tender in line with those recommendations.
“This is not a big issue as your technical committee has already laid down its conditions and you should move forward in that direction,” Chaudhry told the ECP. Main purpose of the PTI behind the EVM was to hold free and transparent election in the country.z
