The Punjab Assembly will be dissolved as per the directives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said on Friday after assuring the Lahore High Court (LHC) that the legislative assembly would be dissolved. will not break
The Lahore High Court earlier today reinstated Elahi as chief minister, saying he would not dissolve the provincial assembly.
The Chief Minister wrote on his Twitter handle that the decision to dissolve the assemblies is final, Imran Khan’s decision will be followed.
اسمبلیوں کی تحلیل کا فیصلہ حتمی ہے عمران خان کے فیصلے پر مکمل عملدرآمد ہو گا۔ امپورٹڈ حکومت انتخابات سے بھاگنا چاہتی ہے۔ ہم امپورٹڈ حکومت کو عوام کے کٹہرے میں پیش کریں گے اور حتمی فیصلہ عوام کا ہو گا۔
— Ch Parvez Elahi (@ChParvezElahi) December 23, 2022
CM Elahi said the “imported government” is running from the polls, but the Punjab government will ensure that it is “brought to the people’s court”.
“Assemblies will be dissolved in any case”
Before Elahi, PTI senior vice-president Fawad Chaudhry had also said that the provincial assemblies would be dissolved “in any case”. A few days ago, Imran Khan reiterated his plan to dissolve Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab Assembly before power politics started in the country’s largest province.
“The affidavit given by Elahi is technical. However, PTI does not agree with the affidavit given to the court. The assemblies will be dissolved anyway,” Fawad told reporters in Lahore.
The court restored Elahi, the provincial cabinet, and did not require the Chief Minister to take a vote of confidence on the order of Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman.
Fawad said that the court today proved that PTI’s stand was correct, and invalidated the governor’s notification to remove Elahi. The Governor will be summoned to the Punjab Assembly to inquire about the notification.
The PTI leader, who was information minister in the previous government, added that Elahi is ready to take the vote of confidence and may seek a meeting with the Speaker in this regard within a week. “Our only demand was that the session be held after our legislators, who are abroad, return.”
He said that Speaker Punjab Assembly Sabtain Khan will write a letter to President Arif Alvi to remove the Governor.
Today’s hearing
A few minutes ago, a five-member bench headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and comprising Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, Asim Hafeez and Muzamil Akhtar Shabbir heard Dair Elahi’s plea against Rehman’s order.
The Lahore High Court took an oath from Elahi that he will not dissolve the assembly because if he takes this step, it may deepen the ongoing political crisis in the province.
The court took two adjournments of 10 minutes and one hour and asked Elahi’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, to consult his client about the deal.
The court restored him to the post of chief minister after the Muslim League (Q) leader gave an assurance not to dissolve the party. The Lahore High Court issued a notice to all the parties in the case and summoned them on January 11.
The court did not make it mandatory to take a vote of confidence for the Chief Minister on the order of the Governor of Punjab.
Resolution passed in Punjab Assembly against Governor
The Punjab Assembly had earlier passed a resolution, condemning Governor Rehman’s “illegal” move to remove Elahi from the post of chief minister.
PTI MPA Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal moved the resolution, demanding action against the governor of the province from President Arif Alvi.
گورنر کے خلاف آج صوبائی اسمبلی کی قرارداد اہمیت کی حامل ہے۔ اس قرارداد کی روشنی میں صدر سے درخواست کر رہے ہیں کہ گورنر کے خلاف مس کنڈکٹ کی کاروائی عمل میں لائی جائے اور فوری طور پر عہدے سے ہٹایا جائے۔
— Ch Parvez Elahi (@ChParvezElahi) December 23, 2022
The resolution said that an “imported government” at the Center had “invaded” Punjab and was trying to destabilize the province.
Responding to the resolution, the chief minister said it was of “significance” and in light of it, he demanded the president to take action against the governor for “misconduct”.
“He should be removed from his post immediately.”
Political Story of Punjab
The political crisis in Punjab does not seem to be abating soon as the finance ministry and the legislators sitting on the opposition benches disagreed over who will get the post of chief minister and who will take over next.
In an attempt to remove the chief minister, the governor – a member of the PML-N – had ordered the chief minister to take a vote of confidence at 4 pm on December 21.
But Punjab Assembly Speaker Muhammad Sabatin Khan Punjab – a PTI leader – termed the order unconstitutional and adjourned the ongoing session till Friday – which resumed today.
In response, the Governor disagreed with the Speaker and rejected his arguments for not calling the meeting. He further said that this decision has no effect on the order to hold the meeting for the vote of trust.
Subsequently, in a notification issued in the wee hours of Friday, the governor de-notified Elahi as chief minister citing his reluctance to take the vote of trust.
Rehman said that since he felt that Elahi did not command the confidence of the Punjab Assembly, he was de-notifying him as the chief minister and also dissolving the provincial cabinet.
But PTI and Muslim League (Q) alike rejected the notification and approached the Lahore High Court against it.
