Punjab governor revokes CM Elahi’s de-notification order, LHC told

The Lahore High Court (LHC) was told on Thursday that Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman had retracted orders to de-notify Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as the provincial chief executive following a chaotic session of the Punjab Assembly during which Chief Minister Parvez Elahi managed to secure the lawmakers’ confidence.

Elahi had challenged the governor’s orders last month after he was de-notified as chief minister. However, the LHC restored him when he assured the bench that he will not dissolve the assembly till the next hearing.

A five-member bench headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh — comprising Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir, and Justice Asim Hafeez — heard the case.

On Dec 23, the LHC had reinstated the PML-Q leader as the chief minister and restored the provincial cabinet as an “interim relief” after he submitted an undertaking assuring the court that he would not dissolve the provincial assembly until the next hearing (Jan 11).

During today’s hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar, the counsel for the chief minister, informed the bench that his client had taken the vote of confidence. He added that 186 members expressed confidence in Parvez Elahi.

While the governor’s counsel, Mansoor Usman Awan, also confirmed to the bench that the chief minister had taken the vote of confidence.

“Is the governor satisfied with the vote of confidence?” asked Justice Abid.

At this, Awan urged the bench to make the assembly proceedings part of the court’s record.

Subsequently, the court remarked that with the governor’s decision, the crisis in Punjab was now resolved.

Later, the governor also confirmed the development in a tweet.

Talking to reporters after the hearing, Elahi’s lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar said that after the court’s verdict, the PML-Q leader was now restored as the CM.

“The next step is dissolution which is a political matter, and it has nothing to do with the court. Political leadership will decide on it,” he said.

Zafar clarified that the undertaking signed by Elahi previously, in which he had assured the court that he won’t dissolve the Punjab Assembly, was an “interim order”.

“The case has finally been decided and the undertaking is no more in place. The Constitution clearly says that the CM has the right to dissolve the assembly,” he added.