Punjab Governor denotifies Chief Minister Parvez Elahi for not taking vote of confidence

LAHORE – Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman denotified Chief Minister Parvez Elahi late Thursday night over failure to take vote of confidence from Punjab Assembly. 

“Since CM has refrained from obtaining vote of confidence at the appointed day and time therefore he ceases to hold office. Orders issued this evening,” Rehman wrote on his Twitter handle, sharing a copy of the notification.

In the notification, the governor mentioned that despite an order issued for the CM to take a vote of confidence, he did not follow suit. Moreover, Elahi did not take the vote after 24 hours, the notification said. 

Since CM has refrained from obtaining Vote of Confidence at the appointed day and time therefore he ceases to hold office. Orders issued this evening pic.twitter.com/ZWnK376DfP

— M Baligh Ur Rehman (@MBalighurRehman) December 22, 2022

“I am satisfied that he does not command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Punjab Assembly and therefore ceases to hold his office with immediate effect,” the notification stated.

The notification also mentioned that the provincial cabinet stands dissolved and the chief minister will continue performing his duties until a new person is elected to office.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rejected the governor’s notification. PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that the notification has “no legal status” and Elahi also announced approaching the court first thing tomorrow.

گورنر پنجاب کا وزیر اعلیٰ کو ڈی نوٹیفیکیشن کرنے کے نوٹیفکیشن کی کوئ قانونی حیثئت نہیں، پرویز الہیٰ اور صوبائ کابینہ بدستور اپنے فرائض سر انجام دیتی رہے گی، گورنر کے خلاف ریفرینس صدر کو بھیجا جائیگا اور ان کو عہدے سے ہٹانے کی کاروائ کا آغاز کیا جا رہا ہے https://t.co/ieD3XtAVCv

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) December 22, 2022

Following the governor’s instruction, Punjab Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal also notified the dissolution of the provincial cabinet. 

“Mr Parvez Elahi has ceased to hold office of the Chief Minister Punjab with immediate effect,” reads the notification.