In consultation with Pakistan Mulsim League-Quaid (PML-Q), its ally in the Punjab government, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to move the court against Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman for denotifying Parvez Elahi as the province's chief minister.
In a late-night notification, Rehman said that since he believes that Elahi does not command the confidence of the Punjab Assembly, he was de-notifying him as the CM and also dissolving the provincial cabinet.
Following this, an emergency consultative meeting was called at Elahi's residence, where PML-Q and PTI mulled over their next move.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Sibtain Khan, after the meeting, told journalists that the chief minister would move the court first thing in the morning and that the governor resorted to an "illegal" move.
Per Geo News, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry rejected the notification and said that the governor had no authority to remove the chief minister.
The Constitution of Pakistan doesn't acknowledge the governor's notification, the PTI leader said. He added that the provincial assembly elects a chief minister and only it could remove him.
"The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has revived the 58-2B," he said.
Fawad noted the chief minister never said he wouldn't take a vote of confidence — the one ordered by the governor. Elahi will take the vote of confidence only when the speaker convenes the assembly session, he explained.
A session of the provincial assembly will be held as usual today and Elahi will take the vote of confidence, the PTI leader said.
The PML-N should have completed its number in the assembly session, he said, adding there is no room for the governor's notification in the Constitution.
The governor has been found guilty of misconduct because he violated the Constitution, according to Fawad, who added that President Dr Arif Alvi would be approached to remove the governor from office.
The PTI leader said the speaker would send a reference to the president to remove the governor from his office.
Fawad pointed out that the Punjab advocate general has said that the governor's notification is unconstitutional. Rehman will have to face the music in this regard as proceedings of misconduct will be carried out against him, he said.
The chief minister and the cabinet will continue performing their functions as per routine, he stressed.
Upping the ante for the PML-N, the governor issued a de-notification order for Parvez Elahi, dismissing him from his office, as according to him, he does not command the majority vote in the provincial assembly.
"Since CM has refrained from obtaining vote of confidence at the appointed day and time therefore he ceases to hold office. Orders issued this evening," Rehman wrote on his Twitter handle, sharing a copy of the notification.
In the notification, the governor mentioned that despite an order issued for the CM to take a vote of confidence, he did not follow suit. Moreover, Elahi did not take the vote after 24 hours, the notification said.
"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," the notification stated.
The notification also mentioned that the provincial cabinet stands dissolved and the chief minister will continue performing his duties until a new person is elected to office.
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