LAHORE: Governor Punjab Omar Safaraz Cheema has been removed from his post on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to reports, he has been instructed to leave the Governor House with immediate effect. However, Cheema refused to abide by the instruction, saying the prime minister does not have the prerogative to dismiss him.
Addressing a press conference, Cheema said that the prime minister was not authorized to remove him from his office. “This power rests with the President. Only he can remove me from the office,” he said. “I will remain government until the prime minister sends the summary to the President and he will de-notify me.”
The governor also announced to defer the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected chief minister Hamza Shehbaz. Cheema said he has sought the advice of Advocate-General Punjab and is halting the oath-taking ceremony.
Cheema said he will leave his post when the president de-notifies him. According to Article 101 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the governor shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The decision comes just before Hamza Shahbaz was expected to take oath as the chief minister of Punjab today at Governor House in Lahore.
There has been uncertainty on who would administer oath to Hamza Shehbaz. As per the law, if the Punjab governor refuses to administer the oath to Hamza Shahbaz, then the speaker Punjab Assembly will be authorized to administer the oath.
If the provincial assembly speaker also excuses himself from administering the oath, then the president will nominate a competent person for the oath. The president can nominate the chief justice of the Lahore High Court for administering the oath.
Earlier, Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema condemned ruckus in the Punjab Assembly during the election of Chief Minister Punjab and sought report from the secretary regarding the violent incidents.
The governor Punjab asked if the deputy speaker conducted the assembly proceedings from rostrum or from the gallery, whether Perviaz Elahi was tortured in the assembly hall, and if police entered the assembly hall. He also directed the secretary of the assembly to provide footages of the assembly.
Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz has also announced his plan to hold an inquiry into the Punjab Assembly brawl in which the lawmakers attacked deputy speaker and Pervaiz Elahi.
