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LAHORE: PTI Chairman Imran Khan urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the “blatant violation” of the constitution after the federal government removed Omar Sarfraz Cheema as Governor Punjab.
In a late-night notification by the Cabinet Division, the federal government removed Cheem after President Arif Alvi rejected the prime minister’s advice for Cheema’s removal from the governor’s office.
In a statement, Imran demanded the top court take “immediate notice of the blatant violation of the Constitution and the law in Punjab”
“Imported puppets are stirring up constitutional anarchy and chaos in Punjab,” Imran said. “First, a criminal puppet was imposed on the province as a chief minister through a ghost election. Now, keeping all constitutional requirements aside, the office of the president has been insulted.”
He condemned what he termed as an embarrassing attempt to remove the Punjab governor because of his insistence on protecting the Constitution.
The former prime minister said that the “blatant violation” of the Constitution in Punjab was being watched in silence, therefore, the Supreme Court must take suo motu notice of the situation, given its sensitivity.
Meanwhile, Omer Sarfraz Cheema has refused to step down from the office despite his removal by the federal governmen, terming the notification as “unconstitutional”.
In a tweet, Cheema said the president had rejected the summary in light of the “extraordinary” situation but still the Cabinet Division issued the notification for his removal. He added that he was consulting constitutional experts and would soon announce his future course of action.
Cheema has been clinging to the post after he refused to administer the oath to Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and efforts to remove him were scuttled by the president.
The federal government sent a summary for the removal of Governor Cheema to the president on April 17. After the completion of the constitutional period of the summary, the Cabinet Division issued the notification. According to the notification, Omar Cheema’s term as governor expires today.
