ISLAMABAD: Federal interior minister Rana Sanaullah has made it clear that Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman will remove Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi if he fails to take a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly by 4pm today. Sanaullah said that Governor Punjab will issue the notification in this regard at 4pm today.
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Talking to reporters, Rana Sanaullah said “if CM Punjab does not take a vote of confidence by 4pm today, he will cease to remain the CM,” adding that if the Chief Minister does not seek vote of confidence by the given time, the governor can summon a session to elect a new CM.”
He said as per article 234 of the constitution, if the Governor writes to federal government, Islamabad could impose Governor Rule, thus empowering the Governor to take matters into his hands.
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Commenting on containers parked near CM House Lahore, Rana Sanaullah said there was no need to seal the CM Secretariat.
Rana Sanaullah claimed that the PTI coalition had lost majority in Punjab Assembly and it was PMNL which had got the required strength to install its Chief Minister. He said Hamza Shehbaz would most probably be the candidate for the slot of next Chief Minister Punjab.
This came just a day after Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan dismissed Governor Balighur Rehman’s order requiring Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to take a vote of confidence from the house and adjourned the session till December 23 (Friday).
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He said that the Governor’s orders were “against the Constitution and Rules of Procedure”.
In a two-page decision, the Speaker Punjab Assembly clarified that the Governor’s orders were not in accordance with Article 54(3) and Article 127.
“The house is in session since Oct 23, 2022, and under Article 54(3) and 127. No fresh session can be convened unless and until the current one ends,” the order read.
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