Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman has denotified the Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi for not seeking the vote of confidence despite his advice.
Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman denotified Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as chief minister late Thursday night to stop Imran Khan from dissolving the Punjab Assembly.
Elahi called the move ‘illegal’ and said he’d sue the governor on Friday (today).
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry called the governor’s decree unlawful, saying “a handpicked governor denotified an elected chief minister.”
Sources say the governor was told to decertify CM Punjab Elahi after Asif Ali Zardari and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain failed to persuade PTI and PML-Q MPs in Punjab.
The governor said, “Consequent to the facts that Parvez Elahi, ………refrained from obtaining the vote of confidence at 1600 hours yesterday (Wednesday), in line with an order under Article 130(7) of the Constitution … issued under my hand on Dec 19, 2022, in line with Rule 22(7) of the Rules of Procedure of provincial assembly of Punjab, 1997, and that he still has not done so even after the lapse of another 24 hours, I am satisfied that he does not command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Punjab Assembly, and therefore ceases to hold his office with immediate effect.” Accordingly, he declared the provincial cabinet dissolved.
By Article 133 of the Constitution, the governor urged CM Punjab Pervaiz Elahi to remain in office until his replacement took office.