LAHORE, Dec 2: The Punjab government will take strict action against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) if it creates situation during its proposed Dec 22 sit-in against price-hike.

“If the PTI tries to adopt the way it did for stopping Nato supplies at Hayatabad (Peshawar) toll plaza on Dec 22, it will be dealt with an iron hand,” Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Monday.

The minister chided the rival political party, saying that after the ‘drone drama’, the PTI was now going to stage a price-hike drama.

He claimed that living standard of five to 10 per cent of the people could be improved with the money the PTI would incur on the Dec 22 protest.

He also criticised opposition leader’s assertion that the Punjab government was committing contempt of court by not holding local body polls in accordance with the court orders, saying Mian Mehmoodur Rashid should read the law twice.

He said elections could not be held under the present Local Bodies Act as the delimitation process had been done on non-party basis. The Lahore High Court has directed holding the exercise on party basis.

“For conducting elections on party basis, the delimitation law would have to be amended,” he said.

Mr Sana said the Election Commission set Dec 9 as date for preparing election schedule and the process of dividing every union council in six wards was going on in its light. The job would be done in a few days.

The minister said that party-based elections did not mean that every party was bound to take part in the exercise.

“If any party is not interested in the polls at union council level, it can leave the field open.”

He said that law enforcement agencies were busy in their work and their round-the-clock efforts had resulted in arrest of Taliban elements in the Punjab University.

A vigorous crackdown would be launched against the elements involved in disrupting the university peace, he concluded.

About the arrest of Taliban activists some time ago, the law minister said that there are criminal elements in every society but it does not mean that there is lawlessness everywhere.