• Atta Tarar asks Parvez Elahi to resign from post. 
• Says Punjab governor won’t take any illegal step. 
• PML-N starts consultations with its allies at Governor House.

The ruling coalition has decided to de-notify Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and a notification in this regard may be issued at any time, Geo News reported Thursday.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has started consultations with its allies at the Governor House as part of their plan to forestall the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly as announced by Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan.

Khan had announced on December 17 that the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be dissolved on December 23, as he demanded that the federal government set a date for general elections.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed that CM Elahi has lost the majority in the provincial assembly. 

“If he has the support of 187 members, why is he reluctant to take the vote of confidence?” the PML-N leader asked while speaking to the media outside the governor’s house in Lahore.

The PML-N leader said that he was unable to understand why CM Elahi was not taking the vote of confidence.

It is being reported that the PTI will write to the president in response to the governor’s unconstitutional actions, he said. However, he continued, the president has no authority to remove the governor.

Tarar said that the constitution is being violated.

Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, exercising constitutional authority, asked the chief minister to take a vote of confidence during the current session of the provincial assembly, he said. He said the governor asked the CM to take a confidence vote for legal reasons.

The PML-N leader said that one of the reasons is that there are constant wrangling’s among the chief minister’s cabinet, with MPAs resigning.

The situation is that a member has been added to the cabinet, but PTI chief Imran Khan says he is unaware of the development, he said.

The Punjab Governor is neither willing to take any illegal step nor will he do so, Tarar assured. The Constitution of Pakistan stipulates that if a chief minister does not take the vote of confidence at the designated time, he shall be de-notified, he explained.

Now, the governor will decide when to de-notify the chief minister, he said.

Atta Tarar said that CM Elahi should resign from his post as he no longer enjoys the majority of the house. 

PA Speaker’s ruling unconstitutional: Governor 

Earlier in the day, Balighur Rehman declared Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan’s ruling unconstitutional and illegal.

Rehman had summoned a session on Wednesday at 4pm for CM Elahi to take a vote of confidence. However, defying his directives, the PA speaker termed the order unconstitutional and adjourned an ongoing session till Friday.

The governor issued the directives under Article 130’s section 7, stating that it is the speaker’s responsibility to defend the Constitution and uphold the law.

“When discharging constitutional responsibility, the speaker shouldn’t consider personal preference. He is bound to honestly and impartially fulfill his duties,” the governor wrote in his reference to the speaker.