PM says EVMs to resolve all election-related problems 

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said electronic voting machines will resolve all election-related problems, reported 24News HD TV channel on Wednesday. 

Addressing a ceremony after signing agreements, the PM said that those who were getting benefits from the system were opposing the use of electronic voting machine in the coming elections. He said no one had told how to resolve the issues related to the arrangement of fair and transparent elections.

The PM said they had to review performances while running the government, adding that the ministers need to achieve their targets in order to come up with the expectations of the people. “We have come out of difficult times and now it is the time to gear up efforts to achieve the benchmarks set for the next two years,” the PM said. 

Earlier in an interview with BBC, the PM called on the Taliban to form an inclusive government and warned that failure to do so could see the country descend into civil war. He said all neighbours of Afghanistan would collectively decide about recognition of the new Afghan government, keeping in view the progress. “If they do not include all the factions, sooner or later they will have a civil war,” he said.

The PM said, Pakistan was trying to engage with the Taliban for an inclusive government in Afghanistan, as there would not be any long-term sustainable peace and stability unless all factions and ethnic groups were represented.

Imran Khan urged the international community to incentivize and encourage the interim Taliban government in the right direction. He said if the international community did not give due attention to the rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan, there could be a humanitarian crisis and civil war. He cautioned that an unstable and chaotic Afghanistan would be an ideal place for terrorists.

PM Imran said, the statements by the Taliban leaders, after assuming power in Afghanistan were encouraging, and hopefully, they would not restrict women from getting an education.

Replying to a question, he said Afghan women were very strong, and they could assert their rights under the Taliban. However, we should give them time, he added.