LAHORE: In the early hours of Friday, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman de-notified Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for failing to take a vote of confidence from the provincial parliament on his order on Wednesday, December 21.
According to a statement sent by the Governor House shortly after midnight, Chief Minister Elahi ceased to hold office immediately, and the provincial government was disbanded. However, it was stated that Elahi will stay in office under Article 133 of the Constitution until the province parliament chose a new chief minister.
“I am convinced that Chief Minister Elahi lacks the confidence of the majority of members of the Punjab Assembly and, as a result, ceases to retain his office with immediate effect,” the governor said in his decision. “As a result of the foregoing, the provincial cabinet is thus dissolved,” the ruling said.
The decree of the Punjab governor further said that previous chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi “is thus urged to continue to retain office till his successor comes onto the office of the Chief Minister” in accordance with Article 133 of the Constitution.
The governor’s decision claimed that Elahi “refrained from gaining the vote of confidence” at 4 pm on Wednesday, in compliance with an order under Article 130(7) of the Constitution issued by him on Monday, and “he still has not done so even after the lapse of another twenty-four hours”.