QUETTA: Balochistan Minister for Local Government Sardar Muhammad Saleh Bhootani pledged on Sunday that the local bodies elections in the province would be held in a free and fair manner.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday ordered timely conduct of the polls as per the announced schedule, rejecting the provincial government`s plea for an eight-month delay in the polls.

Speaking at the launching of a cleanliness drive in the industrial town of Hub, the minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched the clean and green Pakistan initiative across the country.

The local government would ensurecleanliness in Hub and other parts of the province, the minister added.

He expressed surprise when informed during the launching ceremony of the cleanliness campaign in the city that there was no fire brigade vehicle for Hub.

He said the provincial government had launched dif ferent development projects of Rs200 million for the industrial city and the people would soon see a marked change in the city.

Later, Mr Bhootani visited the Hub Press Club and assured journalists that their issues would be resolved on a priority basis. He also announced a government job for senior journalist Qadir Bakhsh Angarya.

`We believe in freedom of expression and independent media, but criticism without facts is not justice with basic ethics of journalism,` the minister said.