Punjab Governor dissolves provincial govt, remove Pervaiz Elahi as CM.
The change occurred a few days after Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), declared on December 23 that the legislatures of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be dissolved. The chief minister was not forthcoming with the request from the governor to hold a vote of confidence on Wednesday at 4 p.m. “Consequent to the facts that Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, Chief Minister of Punjab, refrained from obtaining the vote of confidence at 1600 yesterday [Wednesday], in accordance with an Order under Article 130(7) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, issued under my hand on 19th,” the governor’s notification reads.
Punjab Governor Baligh Ur Rehman disbanded the provincial government and de-notified Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as chief minister of Punjab on Thursday night in Lahore and Islamabad.
The change occurred a few days after Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), declared on December 23 that the legislatures of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be dissolved.
The chief minister was not forthcoming with the request from the governor to hold a vote of confidence on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
“Consequent to the facts that Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, Chief Minister of Punjab, refrained from obtaining the vote of confidence at 1600 yesterday (Wednesday), in accordance with an Order under Article 130(7) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, issued under my hand on 19th,” the governor’s notification reads.
“Further action may be done right away if it is essential. Given in Lahore, on 22nd day of December 2022, at 1600 hours,” the announcement said in its final sentence. The announcement was tweeted by the governor as well. Following the governor’s directive, the chief secretary of Punjab later issued a statement announcing that Pervaiz Elahi was no longer the province’s chief minister.
According to the notification (No. SO(CAB-II)2-12/2018 (Vol-II) issued by Punjab Services & General Administration Department:
“Mr. Pervaiz Elahi has ceased to hold the office of the Chief Minister of Punjab with immediate effect in accordance with the order of the Governor of the Punjab dated 22/12/2022 vide No. PSG-1-1/2022-57. Due to the aforementioned, the Provincial Cabinet is immediately disbanded.
Additionally, in accordance with Article 133 of the Constitution, the Governor of Punjab has been happy to urge Mr. Pervaiz Elahi to keep his position till his replacement assumes the role of Chief Minister.
A copy of the notification was also sent to the chief secretaries of the governments of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, as well as the secretaries to the president, prime minister, Cabinet Division, and Election Commission of Pakistan in Islamabad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reportedly spoke with PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and Baligh Ur Rehman prior to the governor’s order to discuss the situation that arose after Pervaiz Elahi decided not to accept the vote of confidence from the provincial assembly.
According to news sources
It was decided at these meetings that the problem would be remedied via legal and constitutional means. Everyone agreed that the requirements of the constitution are unambiguous and that no one can halt the meeting convened by the governor.
Asif Zardari was visited by Chaudhry Shujaat at the Bilawal House in Lahore. Shafay Hussein and MNA Ch Saalik Hussein, the two sons of Chaudhry Shujaat, were also present.
Kamil Ali Agha has been given a show-cause notice by PML MNA and senior leader Tariq Bashir Cheema, who also told him not to speak on the party’s behalf.
Sibtain Khan, the speaker of the Punjab Assembly, had stated during a news conference in Lahore that the provincial assembly could not be dissolved on Friday (today).
It is not possible to dissolve the Punjab Assembly on Friday. There will be notifications issued for the no-confidence motion, which has been tabled. The first week of January is when the situation will be resolved, the speaker said.
Sibtain Khan Stated
Sibtain Khan stated that a governor’s decision to grant or deny a ministry to a person is not their responsibility in response to Punjab Governor Baligh Ur Rehman’s letter to the Speaker from a day earlier.
The Punjab governor deemed the speaker’s decision “unconstitutional and unlawful” after the speaker disobeyed him and called a meeting for a vote of confidence in CM Elahi on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The speaker then got a letter from the governor the same evening.
The Punjab Assembly Speaker elaborated on his thoughts on the letter and CM Elahi’s mention therein, saying: “The governor has written about the vote of confidence and no-confidence in his letter. His allegations against Elahi, however, have nothing to do with the governor.
Additionally, in accordance with Article 133 of the Constitution, the Governor of Punjab has been happy to urge Mr. Pervaiz Elahi to keep his position till his replacement assumes the role of Chief Minister.
A copy of the notification was also sent to the chief secretaries of the governments of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, as well as the secretaries to the president, prime minister, Cabinet Division, and Election Commission of Pakistan in Islamabad.
According to Captain Khan
It is untrue that the chief minister could not cast a vote of confidence because of the speaker. The session called by the governor was illegal and had no legal standing, according to Article 209-A of the Punjab Assembly Rules of Procedure. He added that the Constitution prohibited denotifying the CM.
He asserted that the Speaker has the authority to make decisions about every issue affecting the assembly. Like the governor, the Speaker likewise represents a constitutional body, he said.
Sibtain Khan said that the governor’s remarks were more political than constitutional in nature.
In response to a different query, he said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was unrelated to the Punjab Assembly.
Mahmood Khan, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said separately that the PTI had chosen to delay dissolving the provincial legislature until the future of the Punjab Assembly was resolved.
On Thursday, Mahmood stated in a media interview outside the Hayatabad Sports Complex in Peshawar: “Imran Khan will first decide the destiny of the Punjab Assembly.”
“Consultation on the issue of the Punjab Assembly is now underway. Following these deliberations, a decision about the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will be made.
The chief minister also stated that he was in touch with the top officials of his party. “Imran hasn’t provided me with any guidance on the breakup as of yet. Today, I will speak with Imran, but before, a choice will be made about the Punjab Assembly.
