Governor asks President to nullify Punjab CM election
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb stated on Sunday that Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz will take the oath, “even if the entire Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf falls ill, including President Arif Alvi and Governor of Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema.”
The information minister, while answering questions raised by ex-premier Imran Khan in his recent press conference through the Pakistan Muslim League-N official Twitter handle, stated that the former ruling party had no authority to question the functioning of courts at night, as they participate in flouting the orders of the courts.
“The president of Pakistan appointed by Imran Khan is actively violating the Constitution in Punjab, so the courts are open at night,” Marriyum said.
The federal minister accused former prime minister Imran of being a fascist, adding that he should stop violating the Constitution.
“They [PTI] hold the Constitution, democracy and parliament hostage and then ask why are the courts open?” she questioned.
Marriyum said that the nation was a witness to the violation of the Constitution at the hands of President Alvi. She further said that the country’s judiciary was being dragged into Imran Khan’s “conspiracy” and being labelled a traitor.
The minister claimed that all, “unconstitutional gangs, including Imran Khan, his President Arif Alvi, and the Governor of Punjab” should be punished under Article 6 for treason. “You are sick-minded, undemocratic and fascists, your dark age is fading,” she added.
Marriyum’s remarks came after reports of Governor Cheema reportedly being hospitalised in Lahore on complaints of food poisoning and fever were doing rounds.
According to media reports, doctors at the governor’s residence conducted a medical assessment after which he was taken to the hospital for medical tests.
Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has urged the president to declare the Punjab CM election as void in the light of information shared by him. He asked the president for constitutional advice over the issue in the wake of the circumstances in Punjab.
Cheema highlighted “constitutional violations” in the election of the Punjab chief minister held earlier this month in a six-page report he shared with President Arif Alvi on Sunday.
The report came to light a day after the Lahore High Court asked President Alvi to appoint someone else instead of Cheema for the oath-taking of PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz who emerged victorious in the election of the CM on April 16.
The Punjab governor alleged that the voting record of the election was “tampered” with along with the violation of the Rules of Business.
In his report, Cheema said the CM election violated the Constitution. He added the police entered the Punjab Assembly in violation of the assembly rules and members [of PTI and PML-Q] were allegedly stopped from voting in the election.
