LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party has decided to file a reference against Interior Minister Malik Habib in the Election Commission for passing ‘pro-PML-N’ comments.

The PPP and other major political parties say Malik Habib has become ‘controversial’ and he should either resign or be sacked so that free and fair elections could be ensured. Mr Habib had spoken in favour of PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and said he would vote for a PML-N candidate.

“The PPP’s legal team is preparing a reference against Interior Minister Interior Malik Habib and we will file it in the ECP in a day or two requesting it to remove him as he has violated the mandate of the caretaker cabinet to ensure free, fair and impartial elections in the country,” PPP leaders Raja Riaz said.

Speaking at a press conference at the Press Club here on Tuesday former opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Riaz said Malik Habib was openly supporting the Sharifs.

“If he wants to please Nawaz Sharif, he should better resign and get a job in Jatiumera, Raiwind,” he said, alleging the caretaker interior minister was in fact running the lection campaign of the PML-N. He urged the prime minister to remove him without any delay to ensure free and fair polls. Raja Riaz also demanded withdrawal of “extra-ordinary security protocol” to Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif.

Former state information minister Sumsam Bokhari said Mr Habib should voluntarily step down for making partisan public comments in favour of a leader of a political party. He said other political parties had also raised concerns about Mr Habib therefore it was obligatory Prime Minister Khoso to sack him and save the sanctity of his cabinet.

Mr Bokhari said the political leadership agreed to a unique and just mechanism of the caretaker government to be set up with the agreement of the leader of house and the leader of the opposition to ensure ‘zero tolerance’ to manipulation and rigging.