Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that the Punjab elections are not expected to be held on May 14, because the institutions are not fully prepared and even if the elections are held on that day, no one would accept them.

The government has formed a team to hold negotiations with the PTI and the talks may begin on April 16, the minister told reporters in Faisalabad on Saturday.

He also expressed surprise at the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s order for the political parties to resolve the election date issue by holding talks.

The Supreme Court bench said that if a political agreement is reached, the election date will be moved forward, otherwise the election will be held on May 14, he said.

Sanaullah said the government was ready for holding negotiations, but the decisions of the 3-member bench had become so controversial that voices were being raised from within. The Parliament passes a bill and the court stops it before it becomes law. This is not constitutionally and legally correct, he said.

“Even if elections are held on May 14, no one will accept them,” he said.

“We have formed a team which will talk to the PTI. Our effort is to sit and talk on April 26.”

The interior minister said that it would be good if the 15 judges of the judiciary sit together and take a unanimous decision.

He further said that the government believed the SC order against the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill was unconstitutional.

Rana Sanaullah also claimed that the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies was illegal.

Under the constitution if the assembly is dissolved for a legitimate reason, there would be an election within 90 days, but Imran Khan did not dissolve the assembly for any legitimate reason, he said.

The PML-N leader said that the ruling party was not uning away from the election. It is our principled position that there should be an election on the same day across the country and all political parties should sit down and decide to hold the election, he said.