Election of chief minister Punjab: President receives report from Punjab governor

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi has received the report from Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema regarding election of chief minister Punjab wherein the latter has recommended that this election be declared as null and void.

Presently, the report is under the president’s review, it is learnt.

Contents of the report that surfaced on Sunday suggest that the governor has revealed in the report that the record of the CM Punjab’s election was “tampered.”

The report revealed that police personnel were allowed to enter Punjab Assembly Hall in violation of the rules and some lawmakers were stopped from casting votes.

The governor Punjab, in the report, revealed that Second Schedule of the Constitution was ignored in the voting process and speaker Punjab Assembly did not inform the governor about the results of the CM election.

Rule 21 of Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1997 provides that the speaker shall, as soon as may be, inform the governor the name of the CM elected under these rules.

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In addition, the report mentions that the resignation of CM Punjab Usman Buzdar is controversial. The report discloses that his resignation was not accepted by the governor Punjab due to the reason that the resignation was never received by the governor. The report terms the resignation as in violation of Article 130 (8) of the Constitution.

“Nothing contained in this article shall be construed as disqualifying the chief minister or any other minister for continuing in office during any period during which the provincial assembly stands dissolved, or as preventing the appointment of any person as chief minister or other minister during any such period,” this article reads.

The governor has recommended declaring the CM Punjab election as null and void and has sought guidance from the president—on what constitutional steps to be taken in view of the existing situation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022