Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have announced that they will approach the courts after Chief Minister Pervez Elahi was removed from office by Governor Punjab Balighur Rehman.
In a late night notification, Rehman said that since he felt that Elahi did not enjoy the confidence of the Punjab Assembly, he was de-notifying him as the chief minister and also dissolved the provincial cabinet.
After which an emergency consultative meeting was called at Elahi’s residence, where the Muslim League (Q) and the PTI deliberated on their next move.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Sabtain Khan told reporters after the meeting that the chief minister would go to court first thing in the morning and the governor resorted to an “illegal” move.
According to JEE News, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry rejected the notification and said that the Governor has no authority to remove the Chief Minister.
The PTI leader claimed that the Constitution of Pakistan does not recognize the Governor’s notification. He further said that the Provincial Assembly elects the Chief Minister and only it can remove him.
“Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has restored 58-2B,” he said.
Fawad noted that the chief minister never said that he would not take a vote of confidence – which was ordered by the governor. He explained that Elahi will take the vote of confidence only when the speaker convenes the assembly session.
The PTI leader said that the meeting of the provincial assembly will be held as usual today and Elahi will take the vote of confidence.
He said that the Muslim League-N should have completed its number in the assembly session, he said that there is no scope for the notification of the governor in the constitution.
According to Fawad, the governor has been found guilty of misconduct as he violated the constitution, adding that President Dr. Arif Alvi will be contacted to remove the governor from office.
The PTI leader said that the speaker will send a reference to the president to remove the governor from office.
Fawad pointed out that Advocate General Punjab has said that the Governor’s notification is unconstitutional. He said that Rahman will face the music in this regard as a misdemeanor action will be taken against him.
He emphasized that the Chief Minister and the Cabinet will continue to perform their duties as usual.
Governor denotifies Elahi as CMÂ
In a move against the PTI, the governor issued a de-notification order for Pervaiz Elahi, removing him from his post because, according to him, he did not command a majority vote in the provincial assembly.
“As the Chief Minister has avoided taking the vote of confidence on the appointed day and time, he steps down. Orders issued this evening,” Rehman wrote on his Twitter handle while sharing a copy of the notification.
In the notification, the governor mentioned that despite the order to take the vote of confidence to the chief minister, he did not follow it. Further, Elahi did not take the vote even after 24 hours, the notification said.
The notification said, “I am satisfied that he does not enjoy the confidence of the majority of the members of the Punjab Assembly and therefore resigns immediately.”
The notification also states that the provincial cabinet has been dissolved and the chief minister will continue to hold office until a new person is elected.
