PM Shehbaz Sharif meets President Arif Alvi

ISLAMABAD: Newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday arrived at Aiwan-e-Sadr where he held a maiden meeting with President Arif Alvi, ARY News reported citing sources.

Sources privy to the development said that the prime minister discussed the appointment of all four governors and the summary to remove Punjab Governor Omer Sarfaraz Cheema.

The meeting between PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi continued for 20 minutes, well-informed sources told ARY News.

The controversy

After assuming office, PM Shehbaz Sharif removed Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema from his post.

Governor Punjab while addressing a press conference had said that the Prime Minister was not authorized to remove him from his office. “This power rests with the President. Only he can remove me from the office,” Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema said.

Minutes after the news emerged, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry denied the removal of Omar Sarfaraz Cheema as Punjab Governor.

Chaudhry in his reaction had said that President Arif Alvi refuted the news regarding the removal of the Punjab governor and added no such summary has been sent to the President’s House.

It is pertinent to mention here that President Alvi also refused to take oath to PM-elect Shehbaz Sharif and his 37-member cabinet.

Chairman Senate and Acting President Sadiq Sanjarani took oath from the new cabinet.