We will welcome back PTI in NA but no caretaker talks before August: Rana Sanaullah

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Monday that the coalition government will “welcome back” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers to the National Assembly (NA) if they decide to return, but clarified that discussions over an interim setup would not be held before the end of the mandated tenure of the government in August.

In an interview with ARY News, Sanaullah said: “Of course, we will welcome them [back] into the assembly as even when they were leaving, we had said it was an undemocratic decision.”

Sanaullah said the PTI MNAs will have to withdraw their resignations for returning to the National Assembly.

“Further, Imran will also have to submit a request to the speaker in order to become leader of the opposition.”

He reiterated that the general elections will be held upon the expiry of the parliament’s five-year term.

“When the tenure of the assemblies would end on Aug 16, 2023, he (Imran) will be part of the consultation as the leader of the opposition and then the decision of the caretaker would be made.”

The interior minister’s comments come after PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in a meeting with journalists at his Zaman Park Residence in Lahore, said his party could return to the National Assembly in order to discuss a caretaker setup.

“If we do not go back to the assembly, they will form an interim setup after discussing the matter with Raja Riaz,” Imran suggested, adding: “We are planning a return to the national assembly.”

The PTI chief said several PML-N lawmakers were in contact since the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.

“We’ll test them before accepting them into the party fold,” Imran said, without defining what this test would entail.

In a related development, Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Monday suspended the party membership of the outgoing Punjab Chief Minister and fellow party leader Parvez Elahi.

Shujaat also sent a show-cause notice to Parvez Elahi over his comments regarding the party’s possible merger with the PTI. The development comes days after Elahi said that consultations were underway on a possible merger of PML-Q with the PTI.

Last year, differences emerged between Shujaat and Elahi over the issue of support for PTI and the PDM government.

Shujaat Hussain, who is the president of PML-Q, supported PDM candidate Hamza Shehbaz’s bid to become chief minister while PTI had put its weight behind Pervez Elahi’s candidature.

Elahi claims to have the support of the PML-Q parliamentary party and the authority of making all decisions.