Ambassador Kistafin says early presidential election in autumn; director flights between Kazakhstan, Pakistan from November
Ansar M Bhatti
ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin has said to achieve the goal of democratization and better facilitation of the people of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has decided to call early elections this Autumn. The President has decided to limit the term of the President to one time only, which will be for seven years.
Ambassador Kistafin made these remarks while talking to media people, here on Monday.
The ambassador further said, during his address to the nation a few days ago the President of Kazakhstan made it clear that he wanted to make the country a democratic state where people have a say in the decision making processes.
He said that Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country and the biggest economy in Central Asia; hence, the potential for cooperation and development between both nations is enormous.
Tokayev further called for the elections to the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) and Maslikhats (local representative bodies) to be held in the first half of 2023 if all relevant laws in the follow-up to the constitutional amendments approved in the June 5 national referendum are adopted by the end of 2022. Moreover, the role of Parliament, media, and civil society in Kazakhstan would be strengthened.
Commenting on the rule of law, President Tokayev announced that the independence of the judiciary would be strengthened by systematically reducing administrative and government pressure on the legal system, principally by reforming the Supreme Court and increasing its power over judicial review.
He said that direct flights between Kazakhstan and Pakistan shall be resumed in the month of November, 2022.
The flights would be operated from Kazakhstan’s city Nur-Sultan and Almaty to Pakistan’s major cities including Lahore and Karachi, adding that it will help out to bring the communities of both countries closer and create a better understanding of each other’s culture.
This initiative of flights will enhance people-to-people contacts and the exchange of delegations, ultimately bringing both the brotherly countries closer.
Ambassador further said that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is also planning to visit in the first half of next year. This year both countries are also holding inter-governmental joint mission meetings to enhance further bilateral economic and regional cooperation. Moreover, both countries will also collaborate in media exchanges.
The ambassador further said that after the June referendum it has become easy for anybody to establish a political party and take part in the political process. Thus, parties have a chance now to promote their own agendas.
He added his country was keen to have access to the warm waters of Pakistan for which he would soon visit Gwadar and explore various business opportunities there. He said the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has invited him to visit Gwadar and on his invitation he will soon go there.
He also mentioned the single country exhibition organized by Pakistani businessmen in Almaty, Kazakhstan adding that the exhibition went quite well and provided businessmen from both countries with an opportunity of exchanging views and exploring business potentials.
