Just hours before the oath-taking ceremony of CM-elect Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, in a surprise move Saturday, “rejected” the resignation of Usman Buzdar saying constitutional requirements were not fulfilled. Omar Sarafraz Cheema, in his letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, stated that the March 28 resignation letter of Usman Buzdar was not in accordance with the rules as it was addressed to the prime minister and not to the governor which was mandatory as per sub-section 8 of Article 130 of the Constitution. “The resignation was not addressed to the governor which was unconstitutional and thus rejected. Consequently, the provincial cabinet has been restored,” Cheema stated.
Meanwhile, Usman Buzdar summoned a meeting of the Punjab Cabinet for which provincial ministers started to arrive at the assembly building. Murad Raas and Mian Aslam Iqbal told a private TV channel that there’s no crisis in the province as Governor Cheema holds a constitutional office and he has taken a decision on the matter.
Moreover, security was tightened around Punjab Governor House for the oath-taking ceremony of Hamza Shehbaz. Roads leading to the Governor’s House were sealed to avoid any untoward situation.
