LAHORE: Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has called former chief minister Usman Buzdar’s resignation – typed and addressed to prime minister – as a real “fitna” (mischief) behind the constitutional crisis in Punjab.

He described the consequent oath-taking ceremony “after taking Governor House hostage” as unlawful and unconstitutional. He said prime minister’s son Hamza Shehbaz used the Punjab police and bureaucracy as his “ghunda force” and eventually had CM Buzdar denotified and Hamza notified as chief minister without sending his advice to do so.

“Buzdar’s denotification as chief minister and Hamza’s notification as chief minister are illegal,” he asserted.

The governor also showed video clips on an LED of senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan as well as PML-N senior leaders Rana Sanaullah, Khwaja Saad Rafique and Ayaz Sadiq, wherein they called the resignation of Buzdar illegal.

Promises to share details of his legal team’s opinion on CM oath

Speaking at a news conference at the Governor House on Sunday, the governor challenged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to bring his legal team and hold a live debate on the validity of Buzdar’s resignation on a national TV channel. As per constitutional injunctions, he said, the chief minister was required to write his letter in his own handwriting, and sign and address to the Punjab governor.

He said he had challenged the prime minister because he had entered the constitutional debate by asking the president of Pakistan to remove the governor.

Mr Cheema said Hamza Shehbaz used the Punjab police and bureaucracy and staged circus in the lawns of the Governor House. He said the youngsters from all across Punjab were seeking permission to come to the Governor House and block the event but he did not allow.

“Only a fraction of people who thronged the PTI jalsa at Minar-i-Pakistan would have been enough to block the event by force,” he said.

“The PML-N always wanted to create cheap political stunts but I avoided it to ensure that there should be no emergency-like situation in the province,” he added.

He said his legal team was working on the legality or illegality of the oath-taking event and would let the nation know the details of the deliberations.

The governor said Hamza had inherited business and political party but his elders did not teach him how to contest such a big election of the chief minister.

“Since Pakistan is facing the 5th generation warfare,” he said, “only a message could ignite fire all around”. He also stressed the need that now it was time that youth be trained to counter such tough situations in the warfare.

Explaining the events in the build-up to the oath-taking event, the governor said he had allowed holding of oath taking but following Punjab Assembly secretary’s report on the conduct of chief minister’s election he denied the permission in a presser on on April 17. Consequently, he said, the tents installed for oath-taking were removed.

Later, he said, the chief justice of Lahore High Court advised to hold the oath-taking ceremony and added that he again granted permission but they (oath-taking organisers) did not return. Eventually, he said, LHC judge Justice Jawad’s illegal and unlawful decision was announced late in the night that the National Assembly Speaker would take oath of the CM-elect.

“No one else but the President of Pakistan and the Governor had powers to allow the holding of oath-taking, which is legal and constitutional in its nature,” he added.

“Since I being Governor had stopped the holding of oath-taking ceremony at the Governor House, even my entry was blocked outside the Governor House since I return to private residence after completing office work.

“As I called for the transport and protocol to come to the office, my military secretary and principal secretary conveyed that my (governor) entry has been blocked and even no official vehicle is being allowed to move outside the Governor House. The military secretary and principal secretary told the IGP that they were committing wrong but all in vain,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2022