According to sources, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) resolved on Saturday to petition the Supreme Court in an effort to overturn the Lahore High Court's (LHC) decision to reinstate Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

After Elahi gave the court assurances that he wouldn't dissolve the Punjab Assembly if he regained control of the office, the LHC had, a day earlier, reinstated the provincial cabinet and Elahi as the chief minister.

Sources claim that the development happened when the party's representatives to the Punjab parliament met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his Lahore home.

According to sources, Tariq Basheer Cheema of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was also present at the high-level meeting where it was decided to oppose CM Elahi's reinstatement.

Sources revealed that the PML-attorneys N's also drafted a draught of the petition that would be sent to the Supreme Court in opposition to the LHC's ruling.

The federal government argued earlier today that the LHC's ruling did not follow legal precedent and urged the nation's top court to take note of the ongoing unrest in Punjab.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, Rana Sanaullah, and Tariq Bashir Cheema, federal ministers, had earlier in the day asked the supreme court to take suo motu notice of the deteriorating political situation in Punjab, including the reinstatement of the chief minister.

Reinstatement of CM Elahi

To decrease the existing political unrest in the province, the LHC requested an assurance from Elahi before restoring him that he would not call for the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.

The case was considered by a five-judge panel that was led by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and comprised of Judges Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Tariq Saleem Sheikh, Asim Hafeez, and Muzamil Akhtar Shabir.

The PML-Q leader gave the court his word, and on January 11 the court summoned all parties involved and reinstated him as the chief minister.

The court did not need the chief minister to vote in favour of Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-instructions, Rehman's but instead suspended them pending the outcome of the next hearing.

After failing to call a vote of confidence despite having had several hours to do so, the governor de-notified the chief minister of Punjab in the early hours of December 23.

Despite giving the LHC assurances, Elahi insisted on dissolving the provincial assembly in accordance with instructions from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.