Following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of Hamza Shehbaz as the Punjab chief minister, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has warned that the federal government is considering imposing governor’s rule in Punjab.
Addressing a press conference today (Wednesday), he said that the work to impose governor’s rule in Punjab has started. “The summary to impose governor’s rule is being drafted, and I, personally, have started work on it,” he said.
Reacting to claims by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders that they would ban his entry into Punjab, Rana Sanaullah said that if his entry was banned, it might result in the imposition of governor’s rule in the province.
He also said that given the ongoing situation, it should be a ‘concerning matter’ for the nation that the rupee is losing strength against the dollar.
“When such events take place, the situation will be what it is,” he said, referring to the Supreme Court’s recent judgment, and PTI’s consistent calls for fresh elections.
Political analysts and experts and cautioning for peace and calm between the PTI and the coalition government, saying that any further unrest could negatively impact the already fragile economy.
As it is, the political unrest in Punjab has caused instability in the markets, leading to the rupee plummeting against the dollar.
In his press conference, Sanaullah also said that after the vote of no confidence against former prime minister Imran Khan had been successful, the PML-N leadership had considered moving towards snap polls, but the coalition partners had not supported the idea.
He also said that once general elections were announced, PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif would return to Pakistan and lead the election campaign.
