LAHORE: Expressing deep concerns over disregard of his constitutional order, Punjab Governor Mohammad Balighur Rehman said on Tuesday that since the chief minister (Pervaiz Elahi) was unable to take a vote of confidence, he has lost his right to exercise executive powers in the most populous province of the country.

“It is the constitutional power of the Governor to summon the Assembly to require the Chief Minister to obtain a vote of confidence,” the governor said, adding: “I was quite satisfied that the CM Pervaiz Elahi did not command the confidence of the house and, therefore, exercised my constitutional discretion to require the CM to pass the floor test.”

He said, “Speaker Punjab Assembly has illegally disregarded the discretionary orders of my Constitutional office; speaker has no powers to interfere in the constitutional powers of the Governor, the act of the speaker of the Punjab Assembly is illegal and unconstitutional.”

In his statement, the governor added, “Taking the political matters to courts and involving them in political situation in Punjab is completely unnecessary. Chief Minister is using the Courts orders as a shield to escape the floor test.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023