Daily Times

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said he was of the opinion that the ruling coalition should not hold talks with the PTI, terming the exercise a “waste of time”. However, he added, while party leaders had their individual opinions, final decisions were made collectively. The PML-N leader expressed these views while speaking to the media outside the Parliament House in Islamabad.

He said the government had already stated that it lacked the funds to hold elections on separate dates and that it was “not financially possible” to organise elections on different dates. “Secondly, if elections are held on different dates, I believe it would cause irreparable damage to the federation”, he said, adding that it would increase the anti-Punjab sentiment in other provinces.

The PML-N leader further said there was an ongoing power struggle between the institutions, adding, “I think the country and Constitution are not being served if someone is aiding Imran Khan.” He highlighted that while the Constitution mandated that polls should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of assemblies, “it also states that they should be held on one day”. “Elections will be held on one day in October,” he asserted.