Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi was sworn in as the caretaker chief minister late on Sunday at the Governor’s Palace in Lahore.
Punjab Governor Baligh Ur Rehman presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Interim Chief Minister Naqvi.
On Sunday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) appointed opposition candidate Naqvi as interim prime minister. However, the ECP’s decision was strongly rejected by the Pakistan Justice Movement (PTI), which declared “Naqvi” a “controversial” person.
The electoral body’s decision comes after the government, and the opposition failed to agree on the final appointment of an interim administrator, which appears to have sparked a new wave of controversy in the country.
The meeting, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, unanimously decided to appoint Naqvi as caretaker CM of Punjab, the ECP said in a statement.
In the meantime, the PTI rejected Naqvi’s appointment, and its Pakistan Tehreel-e-Insaf’S Chairman, Imran Khan, criticized it.
The outgoing CM, Pervez Elahi, announced that he would appeal the ECP’s “controversial” decision to the Supreme Court after expressing grave concerns about it.
The CM questioned how justice could be expected from someone who entered a plea agreement worth Rs. 30.5 million in response to the ruling. The “controversial decision” violated all laws and regulations.
