LAHORE, June 15: Governor Latif Khosa has asked Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take action against Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for saying that Senator Babar Awan is liable to be murdered.

He has warned that the matter is very sensitive and may cause a confrontation between the federation and the province.

In a letter to the chief minister on Wednesday, the governor said Sanaullah’s statement was “highly inflammatory, grossly unparliamentarily and derogatory to all parliamentary norms”.

Sanaullah had given a similar statement against former governor Salmaan Taseer and he was assassinated a couple of weeks later.

“Such a statement is culpable under the criminal law of the land and punishable under the Pakistan Penal Code as well as the Anti-Terrorism Act. He cannot claim to be ignorant of the law, as he is a lawyer and holds the portfolio of law minister,” the governor said.

“This statement directly confronts the privilege of senators of Pakistan, as Mr Babar Awan is a member of the upper house. It will also cause confrontation between the province and the federation and will not auger well for democracy, which needs to be strengthened. Such incitement to kill is likely to fan extremism and lawlessness with which the nation is already grappling.”

Khosa said: “Being part of your cabinet every act of a minister is considered joint responsibility thus it befalls upon you to take the responsibility and take action as deemed appropriate at your end.”