LAHORE, Feb 20: Federal Industries Minister Manzoor Wattoo says all options against the Punjab government are on the table if it is found involved in encouraging and supporting the lawyers’ planned long march on Islamabad.

“(Everyone knows that) what options the federation will be left with if a provincial government starts giving protocol to lawyers marching on the capital,” Mr Wattoo said at a reception held for him by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Munir Ahmad Khan here on Friday.

He said he hoped that a better sense would prevail and the Punjab government would refrain from taking any step that could derail the democratic process, adding that the federal government’s strategy would depend on what role (chief minister) Shahbaz Sharif would play in the long march and how he would ensure that the lawyers do not get any support on official levels.

He, however, denied that the federation had devised any plan to destabilise the Punjab government.

“At least I’m unaware of any such move,” said Mr Wattoo, known as the “man of change”. He, as the Punjab Assembly speaker in early 90s, staged a coup against then chief minister Ghulam Haider Wyne and installed his government with the help of the PPP, though he himself had the support of just 17 MPAs.

Asked if the PPP government was considering any proposals to resolve the judges’ issue, he said they were considering various options and repercussions of the prolonged issue.

He said had the PML-N not shown haste on the issue, it would have been resolved either way by this time.

He said the PPP as junior partner in the Punjab coalition had certain complaints. However, he said, that despite complaints they did not want to come out of the coalition government.

The federal minister was all praise for President Asif Zardari for “achieving various milestones in the last one year”.

These included establishing coalition governments in the federation and all the four provinces, eliminating horse trading in Senate polls by developing consensus on candidates of various parties, appointing the opposition leader as the Public Accounts Committee chairman, developing harmony among the elected government and the armed forces, avoiding war with India by wisely handling the Mumbai attacks issue and ensuring peace in Swat through talks.