Denotification case: LHC restores Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi via balanced order
PTI and PDM found no political gains as the Lahore High Court (LHC) gave a balanced order in Punjab CM denotification case.
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) found no political gains as the Lahore High Court (LHC) gave a balanced verdict in Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi’s denotification case.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) restored Pervaiz Elahi as the Punjab CM and the provincial cabinet after suspending Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman’s denotification order. However, the high court bound Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi to give assurance for not dissolving the provincial assembly after getting back his position until all parties are heard.
After receiving an undertaking, the LHC reinstated Pervaiz Elahi as the Punjab CM besides restoring the provincial cabinet. Regarding the vote of confidence, the LHC left the option to the chief minister for deciding on the appropriate time to prove his majority in the Punjab Assembly.
Punjab governor denotifies CM Pervaiz Elahi for not obtaining vote of confidence
It is pertinent to mention here that PTI chief Imran Khan had announced to dissolve Punjab Assembly on December 23. However, the Punjab governor denotified CM Pervaiz Elahi late Thursday night to foil PTI’s plan of dissolving the provincial assembly.
The governor’s denotification order was immediately challenged in the LHC by PTI and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q).
After hearing the arguments from both sides, the LHC decided to give interim relief to the Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi and his cabinet besides stopping the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, barring the government and the opposition parties from getting political gains in the name of the constitutional moves.
Political crisis intensifies in Punjab after governor, speaker reject rulings
In the written order, the high court stated that the governor’s December 19 and December 22 orders were held in abeyance until the next hearing and Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi and his cabinet were restored as an interim measure.
“However, this order will not preclude the petitioner from taking the vote of confidence on his own accord,” the order read.
Analysts said a deadlock persisted between the PTI and PDM over the dissolution of the provincial assemblies despite multiple rounds of talks which led to a serious political crisis in Punjab. Both sides have attempted to foil political plans but it went another way, analysts added.
They said the Lahore High Court’s verdict barred PTI and PDM from getting political gains in the Punjab CM denotification case. The LHC’s order went in favour of the PML-Q leader as he got back his position besides deferring the dissolution of the provincial assembly.
