PML-N withdraws no-confidence motion against Parvez Elahi

PML-N withdraws no-confidence motion against Parvez Elahi

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday withdrew its no-confidence motion against Chaudhry Parvez Elahi -- a day after he was denotified as the Punjab chief minister. 

PML-N MPA Khalil Tahir Sindhu said Mr Elahi had already been ousted from the CM office after he failed to secure a vote of confidence from the assembly in line with the directions of Governor Balighur Rehman. He said no-confidence motions against Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan and the deputy speaker had not be taken back.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Elahi filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against an order issued by Governor Balighur Rehman to denotify him as the chief minister. In his petition, he argued that the governor had not written any letter to the chief minister, asking him to obtain a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly. It added that the governor was not authorised to summon a session when a current session was under way. 

A no-confidence motion was already submitted against the chief minister in the Punjab Assembly, it said, adding that Governor Rehman had neglected the Constitution and just followed advice of his lawyers. The governor had no authority to denotify the chief minister through an unconstitutional order, Mr Elahi argued while pleading the high court to declare the order null and void.

Governor Rehman denotified Chief Minister Parvez Elahi late on Thursday night, stating that it was believed that the chief minister did not have the confidence of the majority of the members of the assembly. The notification further stated that the Punjab cabinet had been dissolved. Parvez Elahi would continue to hold office until the election of the new leader of the House, it said.