'PTI to take U-turn on assemblies’ dissolution within a week'

• Govt asks PTI to dissolve assemblies immediately.
• Sanaullah rules out reconciliation with CM Elahi.
• Imran whining to hide corruption, says Aurangzeb.

Reacting to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement about the dissolution of assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday claimed that the party would take a "U-turn on the matter within a week".

"[People] will see how a U-turn will come within a week," the interior minister said during Geo News' programme “Naya Pakistan”, downplaying the PTI chief's announcement.

Responding to a question, Sanaullah said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has nothing to offer Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi now. He also accused CM Elahi of corruption.

Talking about PML-N’s strategy to counter the PTI’s move, the minister said that the parliamentary party decided to opt for the "constitutional option".

Sanaullah asked Imran to dissolve the assemblies immediately, saying that there is no need to wait for December 23.

For his part, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that they would not take any unconstitutional steps.

Raising questions over the one-week timeline for dissolution of the assemblies, the special assistant to the prime minister said it seems they wanted "face-saving".

Imran will realise his mistake when he loses the provincial assemblies, Kaira added.

“Elahi has no option but to form an alliance with PTI,” he said, adding that the CM Punjab is a seasoned player and hoped that he will try to convince Imran no matter what the solution.

‘Whining only to hide his corruption’

In a press conference, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said: “If the former chief of army staff General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa gave NROs, then why did you [Imran Khan] offer him an extension.”

“If Gen (retd) Bajwa was not allowing you to work, you should have dissolved the assemblies at that time,” she said, adding that Khan is grumbling as he seeks to get an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) himself.

Calling the PTI chief a “mental patient”, Aurangzeb said that Khan’s kitchen runs from the income earned from these two assemblies.

The information minister said that Imran knew he would be held accountable if he is ousted from power, adding that he is “whining only to hide his corruption.”

PTI responds

In response, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry explained why had the party chief decided to extend the dissolution of assemblies by almost a week.

"A six-day break has been taken as during this time, we have to process the resignations of the National Assemblies," the former information minister tweeted.