Supreme Court urged to take notice of governor’s removal

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the removal of Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, terming it an open violation of the Constitution.

In a statement, he asked the court to take immediate notice of “violation” of the Constitution by the “imported government” imposed on the people through leged the “imported puppets” were fanning constitutional anarchy and unrest in Punjab, adding earlier a “convicted puppet” was imposed on the province through a ghost election.

“Now, putting aside all constitutional requirements, the office of the President was insulted. The governor was punished for sticking to the protection of the Constitution by trying to remove him shamelessly,” he regretted and charged that the spectacle of the flagrant violation of the Constitution was being watched silently. “It is imperative that the apex court should take notice of the matter on its own, keeping in view its sensitivity. And, the issue of those who sold their loyalties must also be taken to its logical conclusion without any delay,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Omar Sarfraz Cheema has rejected his removal as the Punjab governor. In a tweet, Cheema termed the notification issued by the Cabinet Division unconstitutional and said he was in contact with constitutional experts and would announce his future strategy soon.

However, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said Imran Khan’s statement on the removal of the Punjab governor was hooliganism after constitutional violations by them. She charged that through a ghost election, a criminal and puppet Imran had been imposed on Pakistan and then by breaking the Constitution, a double constitutional crime was committed.

In her reaction to Imran’s demand, she called it the PTI chairman’s hypocrisy and wondered whom he was trying to deceive. “What shameless spectacle Imran staged in the National Assembly, he repeated it in Punjab,” she alleged. She said hooliganism committed in the National Assembly was repeated in Punjab and added it was because of Imran and his puppets’ conduct, the courts doors were opened at midnight. “You played with the Constitution and the parliament at night and for the reasons, the court opened at night. Imran sahib! You trampled the Constitution and resorted to hooliganism in broad daylight and from the breaker of the Constitution, this statement; some shame,” she said.

The minister alleged Imran had looted public money through Farah Gogi and asked him to look at his “fascist” character and said history would always condemn it. “Imran sahib! On your order, the constitutional posts were insulted and the President, governor, speaker and deputy speaker trampled the constitution,” she contended.

She said Imran Khan, who himself had sheer disregard for courts, had no moral high ground to appeal to the Supreme Court for taking notice of Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s removal. “Imran seems to have no iota of shame as despite being a violator of the Constitution he is talking about the supremacy of the Constitution,” she said.

Former Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the federal government had created a constitutional crisis in Punjab. In a tweet, he said practically there was no government in the country.

Meanwhile, heavy contingents of police were deployed outside the Governor’s House to bar Omar Sarfaraz Cheema from entering it after the issuance of a notification of his removal. On the other hand, the constitutional crisis has deepened further in Punjab. The PTI camp claims that only the President can remove the governor under the law. The PMLN has nominated Balighur Rehman as the new governor. The staff of the Governor’s House also held a meeting with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and requested him to sign a summary of assuming office as acting governor but he refused. He said he was serving as the PA Speaker and would take every step in accordance with the Rules of Procedures, law and Constitution. If the PA Speaker assumes office of acting governor, Dost Muhammad Mazari, the Deputy Speaker, will become the Speaker. Mazari has already defected to the PMLN. Both Speaker and Deputy Speaker represent the rival camps now as Pervaiz Elahi sides with Imran and Mazari with the PMLN. If Pervaiz Elahi vacates the office of Speaker to serve as acting governor, the deputy speaker, while exercising his powers as the new Speaker could issue rulings in the House favouring the PMLN.

Meanwhile, Pervaiz Elahi telephoned sacked Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema. Expressing solidarity with him, Pervaiz said the PMLN was committing the worst violation of the Constitution. “We will continue to uphold the Constitution and the law and resist all their unconstitutional actions,” he added. Cheema said that like the past, he would take decisions keeping in view the supremacy of the Constitution.