ISLAMABAD: Caretaker interior minister Mohammad Azam Khan on Tuesday saidthe interim government will ensure transparent, peaceful election and willavoid summoning the army for help unless it was absolutely necessary.

Azam, who took charge as the caretaker interior minister after being swornin as part of the six member cabinet earlier today, sais that it is theresponsibility of the interim government to hold free and fair election.

“We will fully support the Election Commission of Pakistan and utilise theinterior ministry’s institutions to ensure peaceful, transparent election,”he said.

The caretaker interior minister added that they will not summon the armyunnecessarily, unless the situation demanded it.

The law allows for summoning the army [for election] but it is only forextreme situations, he added.

He remarked that he was informed on phone he was being made the caretakerinterior minister. He did not see it coming, and had not asked anyone forthe post, he added.

Azam, who is a former chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, met withInterior Secretary Arshad Mirza at the Ministry of Interior earlier today.Following this, he held an informal meeting where he was introduced toofficials at the Ministry of Interior.