Parvez Elahi constitutionally no longer CM, says Rana Sanaullah as Punjab crisis deepens

• Punjab's political crisis intensifies.
• PTI insists PA speaker's ruling legal.
• Ruling alliance decides to de-notify Parvez Elahi as CM.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed on Thursday that the constitutionally PML-Q leader Parvez Elahi was no longer the chief minister of Punjab.

“The Punjab governor had asked the chief minister to take a vote of confidence by yesterday, but he did not take it, so according to the constitution, Parvez Elahi is no longer the chief minister,” said Sanaullah while talking to the media in Lahore.

The interior minister said that Governor Baligh Ur Rehman is using his powers under the Constitution, adding that whenever the orders [of de-notifying Parvez Elahi as chief minister] are issued by him, they will be implemented.

On the PTI’s protest outside Punjab’s Governor House, the interior minister said that if the party has planned any hooliganism today then they would make the arrangements for it. He added that it was the responsibility of the provincial government to maintain law and order.

“There is no political crisis. An assembly session will be called for the election of the new chief minister,” said Rana Sanaullah — who is also the PML-N’s provincial chief. He added that as soon as the governor will pass orders they will be implemented.

“Governor has the constitutional right to de-notify the chief minister. When the governor acts as per the Constitution then there is no question of Article 6,” said the minister.

On PTI’s claim that the president will remove Baligh Ur Rehman, the interior minister said that the president has to follow the orders of the prime minister.

“Removing a governor is far-fetched, the president cannot even remove the bee sitting on his head without the prime minister's advice,” said Sanaullah. He added that if the PTI was serious about dissolving the assemblies then they could have gotten the signatures done on December 17 and implemented that.

On the notification of Elahi’s removal, Sanaullah said, in his opinion, the governor’s orders should be issued today. He added that the governor will have to issue a schedule for the new CM’s election.

On a question about the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s candidate for the new chief minister, the interior minister said that Hamza Shahbaz is the party’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly and he should be their candidate. However, he added that the PML-N has not considered anyone for the new chief minister.