Punjab CM-elect’s oath-taking: PM again asks president to designate person

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Office has again written a letter to President Arif Alvi to designate a person to administer the oath to Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the President should also suggest the time and place for the oath-taking. It also advised the President that the order of the Lahore High Court was binding and left no room for any deliberation. “It is advised on good authority that delay in the swearing-in of the Chief Minister despite the court order will have far-reaching complications including but not limited to proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act. Needless to say, the province continues to be without a government for the last 23 days. The constitutional functioning of the province cannot be kept in abeyance any further," it warned.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Imran Khan lied about a conspiracy and then levelled baseless allegations against courts.

Reacting to Imran Khan's statement against constitutional institutions, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Election Commission of Pakistan, the minister called him an "ill, fascist and undemocratic person". She said courts had opened at midnight after the PTI leadership flouted their order. "Imran Sahib! Your President is violating the Constitution in Punjab, therefore, courts are open at night,” she contended.

“Imran Sahib! Leave fascism and violation of the Constitution, do not become a hostage taker of the parliament. They hold the Constitution, democracy and parliament hostage and then ask why are courts open,” she pointed out.

The minister emphasized that the whole nation was watching the violation of the Constitution by President Arif Alvi and added if courts opened, Imran would start lying about a conspiracy and accusing the courts.

She demanded that Imran Khan, his President Arif Alvi, Punjab Governor Omer Sarfraz and "the unconstitutional gang" should be punished under Article 6 of the Constitution. “Even if Imran and his entire PTI falls ill, Hamza Shehbaz will definitely take the oath as Punjab chief minister. You are a sick-minded, undemocratic and fascist person. Your era is fading like the darkness of the night," she maintained.

Reacting strongly to the PTI's agitation plan, she said the government would use the law to stop content that spreads chaos in the country. "We will use law to stop content that spreads chaos in the country. While in the government, those who promoted fascism and disorder on containers have no public service and are devoid of positive thinking," she said in a tweet.