Islamabad: Punjab Assembly (PA) Speaker Sibtain Khan disposed Governor Balighur Rehman’s order requiring Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to obtain vote of confidence from house, saying that instructions were “Against Constitution and Rules of Procedure”. Speaker adjourned PA session till December 23 same day PTI plans to dissolve provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In double-edged move, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman had asked Chief Minister to obtain vote of confidence from PA today while PML-N and PPP lawmakers submitted separate no-trust resolution against him in bid to bar him from dissolving assembly. Under law, Chief Minister cannot dissolve assembly if no-confidence motion has been moved against him, while governor’s requirement for Chief Minister to seek vote of confidence from house means he has to ensure that he manages to secure 186 votes.

However, in ruling PA session, Sibtain said that assembly was “Already in session” and “until and unless current session is prorogued, Governor cannot summon any fresh session.”

Commenting on matter after PA session, Speaker told that he had had meeting with lawyers on interpretation of Constitution and rules. “I have been saying this since first day and I think this interpretation is correct,” he added.

Sibtain also termed Governor’s order to be “Illegal and incorrect”.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 21 2022

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