Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal on Friday refuted reports that the government planned to arrest former prime minister and PTI Chief Imran Khan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Talking to media, he, however, said still if somebody had committed a crime, the law would take its course. 

He also dispelled the impression that the coalition government had any agenda of political victimization. 

Responding to a question as to when general elections would be held in the country, the minister said it was Imran, who had decided at the Council of Common Interests meeting held in April, 2021 that the elections would be held on the basis of the data obtained from the national census.

Ahsan said that Sindh had expressed serious reservations over the last census. “Even at that time, it had been decided that whenever general elections would be held, these would be held on the basis of new census,” he said, adding that the census had now begun and its data would be published on April 30, 2023. 

He said this could not happen that elections for two provincial assemblies were held on the basis of old census, while for the remaining assemblies on the basis of new census. “Our constitution has described the procedure for holding elections for the National Assembly and provincial assemblies together,” he added.