Lahore, Apr. 27 : Two Pakistan Cabinet ministers affiliated to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have asked their party chief Nawaz Sharif to give the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) three more weeks to reach a decision on the restoration of the sacked judges and to refrain from stressing on the need to meet the 30-day deadline set under the Muree and Bhurban Declarations.

According to the Daily Times, Petroleum Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Education Minister Ahsan Iqbal reportedly urged Sharif to wait until May 15 before taking action on the matter.

Sharif, according to the paper, has expressed surprise over the number of PML-N lawmakers suggesting that there is a need for the party to wait until May 15.

Nawaz said the party had based its election campaign on the issue of the sacking of the judges and could not back out on the demand for their restoration.

He asked the federal ministers from his party to be prepared to resign if the judges were not restored before the deadline. He said his party would sit on the opposition benches if the PPP did not abide by the Murree Declaration.

He also reprimanded four federal ministers from his party for attending a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani in which President Pervez Musharraf was also present.

He asked them not to attend any event where President Musharraf was present and warned them of disciplinary action if a member violated the directive.

He told Senior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Petroleum Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Youth Affairs Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Education Minsiter Ahsan Iqbal that their participation in the dinner was “embarrassing” for him.

Chaudhry Nisar and Ahsan Iqbal said they had been invited by the prime minister and did not know the president would attend the dinner.

Sharif said he had also been invited but that he had excused himself. (ANI)