Pak heading towards civil war: Former Minister

New Delhi: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has warned that the country is heading towards civil unrest, The News reported.

He expressed these views on the violence that broke out in the Punjab Assembly between the opposition and treasury benches on Saturday.

Amid the chaotic scenes, the Punjab Police entered the provincial Assembly as lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) roughed up the Punjab Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, forcing him to retire to his chamber.

In a tweet, Fawad said, "We are inching towards full fledged civil unrest, Imran Khan has exercised utmost restraint even he won't be able to stop this very angry mob and we will see country plunging into a civil unrest," The News reported.

Calling his opponents 'imported leaders', Fawad said they will not be able to leave the country.

In another tweet, the former information minister said the ongoing political turmoil in the country is linked to the Supreme Court's "failure" to decide the case regarding the fate of rebel lawmakers.

Another PTI leader Farrukh also concurred with Fawad's statement, saying had the presidential reference regarding the interpretation of Article 63-A been interpreted, the Punjab Assembly would not have witnessed such scenes.

"These are just a few MPAs, imagine if the awam (public) goes out of control and takes the matter in their own hands... only solution to this civil unrest is elections. Let the people decide their own fate. Call elections!," said PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari.

Pakistan's former president Asif Ali Zardari indicated that his Pakistan Peoples Party may not join the Cabinet of newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who is still struggling to finalise his core team even after five days in office. Shehbaz, who took the oath of office on April 11, is without any minister as he is unable to convince all of coalition partners on the formation of the Cabinet. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Zardari hinted that his party would prefer that other coalition partners were adjusted. "I don't think we are taking any ministries," he told journalists outside the National Assembly (NA). "We want to give a chance to our friends (coalition partners)," he said. However, the PPP, in a wise move, has already grabbed the post of NA Speaker for its leader and former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf who was elected unopposed.