LAHORE, Sept 7: The Pakistan Muslim League -N has renewed calls for the Pakistan People’s Party to quit the Punjab cabinet, promising them the post of the leader of opposition.

Talking to Dawn on Sunday, provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan offered the PPP, the junior coalition partner, the office of the opposition leader, at present held by the PML-Q.

He said after the PML-N quit the PPP-led ruling coalition in the centre, the latter had no justification to continue to remain in the Punjab coalition government.

He said that constitutionally the chief minister was not required to seek a fresh vote of confidence after the PPP left the coalition, but his party was ready to face any eventuality.

He said his party had shown restraint and the PPP should realise the meaning of what was being conveyed to them when they were being formally asked to quit the cabinet.

PPP’s Punjab information secretary and MNA Farzana Raja termed the minister’s statement irresponsible and said it had come at a time when president-elect Asif Ali Zardari was likely to request the PML-N to re-join the coalition at the centre.

But Rana Sana insisted that he was giving a sensible advice and alleged that it was the PPP which had acted irresponsibly when it backed out of written agreements on the restoration of the judiciary and the scrapping of the 17th Amendment.

Commenting on Punjab Governor Salman Taseer’s statement that he had a stick to bring the PML-N in line, the law minister said the governor’s outburst was a violation of the Constitution and that the issue would be taken up with the federal government.

He said Mr Taseer needed to learn democratic manners.

Rana Sana said if the govenor believed that the PML-N government could not sustain even 24 hours after the PPP withdrew its support then it should do so as soon as possible.

He said PPP leader Raja Riaz had told them that the party would decide about quitting the Punjab government after the presidential poll. “After the completion of the election process, the PPP should not take months in finalising the decision.”