JEE News reported on Thursday that the ruling coalition has decided to de-notify Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi and a notification in this regard can be issued at any time.
According to the announcement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has started consultations with its allies in the Governor House as part of its plan to prevent the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.
Khan had announced on December 17 that the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be dissolved on December 23, as he demanded that the federal government fix a date for general elections.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed that Chief Minister Elahi has lost his majority in the Provincial Assembly.
If he has the support of 187 members, why is he reluctant to take a vote of confidence? The PML-N leader asked the question while talking to the media outside the Governor’s House in Lahore.
The PML-N leader said that he is unable to understand why Chief Minister Elahi Etimad is not taking the vote of confidence.
He said that it is being told that PTI will write a letter to the President in response to the Governor’s unconstitutional actions. However, he continued, the president has no power to remove a governor.
Tarar said that the constitution is being violated.
He said that Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, using the constitutional authority, asked the Chief Minister to take a vote of confidence during the current session of the Provincial Assembly. He said that the Governor asked the CM to take a vote of confidence for legal reasons.
The Muslim League (N) leader said that one of the reasons for this is that there are constant quarrels in the CM’s cabinet, MPAs are resigning.
He said that the situation is that one member has been inducted into the cabinet but PTI chief Imran Khan says that he is not aware of the development.
Tarar assured that the Governor of Punjab is neither willing to take any illegal step nor will he do so. He explained that the constitution of Pakistan stipulates that if a chief minister does not take the vote of confidence within the stipulated time, he will be de-notified.
He said that now the governor will decide when to de-notify the chief minister.
Atta Tarar said that Chief Minister Elahi should resign from his post as he no longer has the majority in the House.
PA Speaker’s decision unconstitutional: Governor
Earlier Balighur Rehman had declared the order of Punjab Assembly Speaker Sabtain Khan as unconstitutional and illegal.
Rehman called a meeting to take a vote of confidence on Chief Minister Elahi at 4 pm on Wednesday. However, defying his directive, the PA Speaker declared the order unconstitutional and adjourned the ongoing session till Friday.
The Governor issued instructions under Section 7 of Article 130 saying that it is the Speaker’s responsibility to defend the Constitution and uphold the law.
“While discharging constitutional responsibility, the Speaker should not consider personal preferences. He is bound to discharge his duties honestly and impartially,” the governor wrote about the Speaker.
