After skipping the vote of confidence, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, “constitutionally” lost his position as Punjab chief minister.
Balighur Rehman, the governor of Punjab, had requested a vote of confidence from Elahi by yesterday at 4 p.m. on December 19.
The governor’s order was later dismissed by Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan, who claimed that the directives were “against the Constitution and Rules of Procedure.”
On December 21, Governor Rehman responded to the speaker’s decision by calling it “unconstitutional,” and the coalition government made a suggestion that Punjab might be put under governor’s authority.
Speaking to the media in Lahore today, the security czar made it clear that Elahi cannot advise dissolving the assembly now, terming it “illegal and unconstitutional” and against the rules of the assembly.
Sanaullah was making reference to the PTI’s impending intentions to dissolve the provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it now holds power.
He said that the governor’s decree denotifying Elahi as chief minister was now merely a formality. “I anticipate it being published today,”
A notification will be sent out as soon as the governor makes an order, the PML-N leader stated, and it would be put into effect right away.
The governor can write to the federal government if this constitutional decision is opposed and its execution is delayed, according to Sanaullah. The federal government can advise the president to authorise the imposition of governor’s rule in the province “with the cabinet’s approval.”
The interior minister argued that the president must comply with the prime minister’s recommendations.
The second choice, he continued, is for parliament to pass a resolution that would then result in the imposition of governor’s rule for a period of two months. Another resolution may be enacted and the governor’s rule may be prolonged for an additional two months.
In order to dispel the notion that there was a political impasse, Sanaullah stated: “[When] a person (Elahi) himself had stated that the majority of his party members were against dissolving the assembly and still signed the [dissolution advice] papers anyhow, it becomes the governor’s duty to take action.”
