Omar Sarfaraz Cheema denotified as governor Punjab despite President's disapproval

ISLAMABAD: Hours after President Arif Alvi’s rejection to approve Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's summary to remove Omar Cheema from his post, he was denotified as Punjab governor in the wee hours of Tuesday Geo News reported.

The situation emerged after President Alvi on Monday rejected PM Shehbaz’s advice to remove Governor Punjab Cheema from office. In a statement issued by the President's Secretariat, President Alvi had conveyed to the prime minister that the Punjab governor cannot be removed without his approval.

However, in contrast to the president’s rejection of the PM’s advice, the cabinet division issued a notification regarding the removal of Omar Cheema as governor of Punjab.

“In terms of Article 101 and proviso to Article 48 (1) of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, read with serial No. 2D of schedule V-B to the Rules of Business, 1973 and the Prime Minister’s advice (s) rendered on 17-04-2022 and 01-05-2022 for removal of Governor of Punjab, Mr Omer Sarfaraz Cheema ceases to hold the office of the Governor Punjab, with immediate effect,” the notification read.

According to the notification, henceforth, the speaker of the Punjab assembly will perform his responsibilities as acting governor of Punjab till the appointment of the new governor.

Sources said that security has also been withdrawn from Omar Cheema following his removal from the governor’s post.

Cheema had been causing problems for the PML-N in Punjab ever since he was given the post by Imran Khan during his last days in power. The governor had triggered a constitutional crisis after he refused to administer the oath to Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz.

Hamza was sworn in last month after the Lahore High Court ordered NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to administer the oath.

Cheema had last week said that he would arrest CM Punjab Hamza Shehbaz Sharif if provided “a subedar and four soldiers” and had also asked Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to play his "role" in the implementation of the Constitutional framework in Punjab.

The federal government has nominated Baligh-ur-Rehman as the new governor of Punjab.

Rehman, who hails from Bhawalpur, was elected from the NA-185 constituency in 2008 and 2013. He had earlier served as the state minister for education, interior and narcotics control when Nawaz Sharif became prime minister after the PML-N’s victory in the 2013 elections.