ISLAMABAD (National Times) – Interior Minister Rana Sanullah on Friday urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of the deteriorating political situation in Punjab.

Pakistan’s largest province in terms of population has been in the limelight since PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced dissolution of the provincial assembly. However, his plan to disband the assembly on Dec 23 was marred by legal battle after Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman denotified Chief Minister Parvez Elahi for not taking the vote of confidence from the assembly. Later, the Lahore High Court (LHC) suspended the notification on an assurance from Mr Elahi that he would not dissolve the assembly.

Now, the PTI leaders have expressed their resolve to execute their plan of dissolving the Punjab Assembly once the chief minister wins the trust vote.

The interior minister, flanked by Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique and Federal Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, in a media talk, defended the governor’s notification, arguing that he (governor) could ask the chief minister to obtain the vote of confidence when an elected assembly was being dissolved for someone’s “stubbornness or mean politics”.

“We want the assemblies to complete their constitutional term,” Mr Sanaullah said as he vowed to foil Imran Khan’s plans. “The chief minister should go for the trust vote if he has the required numbers,” he asserted.

The PDM government saved Pakistan from bankruptcy but they [PTI] were attempting to distablise the country, he said. Mr Sanaullah also dispelled an impression that the federal government was intentionally delaying the elections. “We are fully ready for the elections,” he claimed.

Railways Minister Saad Rafique objected to the LHC verdict of reinstating Parvez Elahi. Saying there are loopholes in the verdict, he said PML-N’s legal team was deliberating over an option to take the matter to the apex court.