Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that delay in general election is out of question and parliament will finalise the caretaker setup.Talking to the media Tuesday in Haroonabad, Kaira said that assemblies would be dissolvedon March 16 after completing their constitutional term and a transparent election would be held under the caretaker setup.

He said that the interim government would be constituted under constitutional domain following consultation with all stake holders as ‘the PPP believes’ in politics of reconciliation.He said President Asif Ali Zardari strengthened democracy by transferring all his powers to the prime minister and parliament.The minister said that the PPP-led government had faced many internal and external challenges, including terrorism, law and order in Swat and Malakand, energy crisis, threat of being isolated internationally, economic recession, food crisis and floods.But the PPP had brought all the political forces of the country at one platform, besides purging Swat and Malakand from terrorists, he added. He said the government brought Pakistan out of isolation.

"The government managed to get assistance form the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum through the coordinated efforts."He went on to add that the government had made the country self-sufficient in wheat. Now the country is exporting wheat and sugar while it had to import wheat in the past, he added.He said that the government granted autonomy to the provinces through the NFC Award under which 70 percent resources were being transferred to the federating units. An equitable system of resources distribution has been devised, under which the provinces have got an additional amount of Rs1,000 billion, he added.About Tehreek MinjhajulQuran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, he said the government would respect his views in accordance with the Constitution."

Allama Tahirul Qadri should seek people's support through popular public vote as no one can be allowed to oppose the Constitution," he added.He said during Pervez Musharraf's regime, Qadri left the country but it was the democratic government that allowed him to come back. He said ballot is the only way to bring change and any other means of coming into power are contradictory to the Constitution. “Those who wantchange,should get themselves elected.”Mentioning the performance of the government, he said that the PPP protected the rights of peopleduring its tenure. “Our government put the country on track after restoring the Constitution in its true spirit and strengthened the democracy by politics of reconciliation.Our government completed 5 years without any umbrella and credit goes toPresident Asif Ali Zardari.”

The minister said that protecting national interest was the priority of the government.“We believe people would extend their full support to us in elections as the PPP is the single party which has its roots in all provinces.”He said that all democratic institutions had been rendering hectic efforts to establish a peaceful society. Kaira said that only parliament and political forces had the power to take political and administrative decisions. "We welcome all the parties, which want to do politics according to the Constitution. We will not support those, who want to impose their agenda through force," the minister asserted.The minister said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had spent the major chunk of provincial budget on developing Lahore, neglecting southPunjab, though he (Shahbaz) had raised the slogan of "Jaag Punjabi Jaag" (wake up people of Punjab).“

It is the job of masses to decide about the fate of the country and interruption of army or judiciary in this regard could not be accepted.”Kaira said that those who criticise the PPP for poor governance should also look into the scenario when it took over the charge and crises that emerged during its rule.Replying to a query, the information minister admitted that people of the Southern Punjab have a sense of deprivation. General elections will be held on time: KairaHe emphatically stated that only the political parties‚ elected representatives and the parliament have the prerogative to take decisions and not the military and judiciary.Recounting the achievements of the present government‚ the information minister said we gave greater resources and autonomy to the provinces. Balochistan has been given more resources to remove their sense of deprivation.