The Lahore High Court (LHC) was told on Thursday that Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman had retracted orders to de-notify Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as the provincial chief executive after he managed to secure the confidence of 186 members in the Punjab Assembly (PA).
The revelation was made as a five-member bench took up a petition filed by the CM challenging Rehman’s de-notification order.
Last month, the Punjab governor denotified Elahi as the chief minister of the largest province in a bid to forestall ousted premier Imran Khan’s plan to dissolve the Punjab Assembly.
In his order dated Dec 22, the governor had said that since the chief minister had refrained from taking a vote of confidence at the appointed day and time, he ceased to hold office. Rehman, however, had asked Elahi to continue working as chief minister until a successor takes charge.
Subsequently, Elahi approached the court, saying the move was “unconstitutional, unlawful and of no legal effect”.
On Wednesday, the court had remarked that a chief minister should have perpetual support from the majority of lawmakers in the house and had allowed Elahi to remain CM for one more day.
During the hearing today, Governor Rehman’s lawyer told the bench that his counsel had revoked the Dec 22 notification. “He has received the report of the vote of confidence and has no objections to it,” he said.
Subsequently, the court remarked that with the governor’s decision, the crisis in Punjab was now resolved.
“You solved the matter in assembly […] courts should not be involved in political matters unnecessarily,” it added and disposed of Elahi’s petition.
