Pakistan: Former Punjab governor Cheema 'refuses' to step down from office

Pakistan's Punjab province former governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema has refused to step down from the position through a notification by the cabinet division despite being denotified as Punjab governor on Tuesday.

Cheema said the summary for his removal sent by the premier to the president was rejected due to "exceptional circumstances" but the Cabinet Division still issued the notification for his removal, the Express Tribune reported.

He termed the notification unconstitutional and said that he would consult constitutional experts and announce his strategy.

According to the reports, the federal government had sent a summary for the removal of governor Cheema to the president on April 17. As per the Constitution, the summary would take effect automatically without any decision from the president after the stipulated time period.

However, after the completion of the constitutional period of the summary, the Cabinet Division issued the notification, the reports added.

Cheema had replaced Chaudhry Sarwar days before the ouster of Imran Khan from the office of the prime minister, is clinging to the post and efforts to remove him, especially after he refused to administer the oath to Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, were scuttled by the president.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan took an exception to the removal of his confidante and urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo moto notice of the "brazen violation" of the Constitution by the federal government, Express Tribune reported.

The report further stated that Imran accused the government of fomenting a "constitutional crisis" in Punjab through its action.

He added that a "puppet" chief minister was imposed on the province through a "ghost election" and now the governor was being removed in violation of all the constitutional norms.

The governor had triggered a constitutional crisis earlier as well after he refused to administer the oath to Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz.

( With inputs from ANI )