Sanaullah urges PTI leaders to use parliament for discussion on next general elections

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Tuesday urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to come to parliament for discussion on holding the next general elections, stressing that blackmailing and threatening tactics are not the civilised way to resolve political issues, Radio Pakistan reported.

Talking to a private television channel, he said all possible efforts are being made to steer the country out of economic crisis and provide relief to the poor masses.

‘Informal’ govt-PTI talks underway: Fawad

He said all political leaders, including PTI chief Imran Khan, should use the forum of parliament for discussing national affairs.

Sanaullah's statement comes a day after Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry revealed that they were holding ‘informal’ talks with the federal government and trying to convey to them the gravity of the situation in the country.

The former federal minister said that the government was becoming irrelevant due to the economic meltdown. He feared that the incumbent rulers might flee the country as the economy has gone beyond their control, thus leaving a power vacuum in the country. “We have told the government that without elections we cannot bring stability to the country,” he added.

“The biggest challenge for Pakistan is the economy; the country’s foreign exchange reserves have reduced to US $7 billion. Hence, immediate general elections are the only way to bring stability to the country,” he added.

Last week, PTI Chairman Imran Khan invited the coalition government for talks on early general elections: “Give us a date for the elections or we will dissolve the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab Assemblies”.

‘Give us date of snap polls or we will dissolve assemblies’, IK asks govt

If the assemblies are dissolved in these two provinces, new elections would be held in 66 percent of Pakistan and subsequently it will bring the government to a standstill, as the government will also be busy in these elections, the former prime minister said while addressing the PTI Punjab parliamentary party through a video link from his residence here on Friday.

Khan assured the parliamentary party that the PTI has the full backing of PML-Q: “Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has assured me that he will dissolve the provincial assembly on my call”.

Speaking on the dissolution of assemblies, Khan said the PTI leadership took the decision in the interest of nation. “We have no problem if the elections are held on time. Only the government will face the wrath of people, but the country cannot afford the delay due to its deteriorating economy,” he added.