Constituional crisis: Punjab governor responds to president's letter

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has responded to the letter of President Dr Arif Alvi regarding the constitutional crisis in the province over the oath administration of Punjab CM-elect Hamza Shehbaz, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Sources told ARY News that President Dr Arif Alvi had asked the Punjab goveror to implement the high court’s order.

The governor sought an interpretation of the constitutional points after holding consultations with the legal experts regarding the two contradictory orders of the high court given on April 22 and 27.

Earlier in the day, Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema decided against administering the oath to Chief Minister Punjab-elect Hamza Shehbaz after the Lahore High Court directed him to complete the oath-taking process atmost by today.

READ: APPEALS FILED AGAINST LHC VERDICT ON HAMZA SHEHBAZ OATH-TAKING

According to sources privy to the matter, the governor was briefed on options available to him against the Lahore High Court’s decision by legal experts.

It was decided that all options would be utilized and sources said that initially an intra-court appeal would be filed in the high court against the decision.

“If needed, the high court’s decision will be challenged before the Supreme Court,” the meeting agreed after legal experts briefed that the court could not exceed its constitutional limit and issue directives to the president and governor.

The sources further shared that the matter would also be conveyed to the president.

Yesterday, Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti directed Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema to either administer the oath to the Chief Minister Punjab-elect Hamza Shehbaz or appoint anyone for it.

The chief justice while announcing a reserved verdict over the delay in oath-taking of the newly elected chief minister directed the governor of Punjab to hold an oath-taking ceremony on Thursday.

“The court’s order should immediately be conveyed to the governor and president,” the LHC said as the chief justice remarked that the province is being run without a chief executive for 25 days.

The court further said in its order that currently Usman Buzdar is acting as chief minister and the governor as per the Constitution is bound to take oath from the newly elected chief minister.