ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the ruling coalition will not takedictation from any other constitutional institution, asking if is it for the Supreme Court to givean agenda to the politicians regarding holdinga dialogue, The News reported.
The defence minister's comments come after the Supreme Court had directed the embattled ruling and the opposition political parties to immediately thrash out a consensus on the date of elections.
The directives came after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) assured the top court that they would sit with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and try to find a solution on the election date.PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi had also made assurances to the court.
"Politicians can themselves settle the agenda for talks. Why are we being dictated to?" asked the PML-N leader while speaking during theGeo News programme "Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath" on Thursday.
Asif ruled out the possibility of funding the provincial assembly election in Punjab, saying the parliament had barred the government from doing so.
"Parliament is the highest constitutional institution and it has rejected the decision to release the funds," he added.
The minister said: “We, as parliamentarians, have to guard our authority [...] won’t take dictation from any other constitutional institution. We are appearing before the Supreme Court keeping in view its respect. We don’t recognise the 3-2 verdict, as we consider the 4-3 decision as final."
He added that the PML-N parliamentary leaders have reached an understanding with the PTI for contact after Eid ul Fitr.
“Facilitators’ second group is attempting to impose Imran Khan again [on the masses] but we won’t let it happen. We are not into any personal fight [...] all this is happening because politics has penetrated the apex court," Asif said.
He asked why shouldother constitutional institutions go through hardship for Supreme Court’s internal differences, adding that theConstitution does not talk about 90 days alone, it also says that elections are to be on the same day.
The minister said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was also dissolved with the Punjab Assembly. He said Punjab elections were being stressed only to have a specific party’s government there that would rig the general elections.