PML-N withdraws 'ineffective' no-trust move against Punjab CM

• No-trust motions against speaker, deputy speaker Punjab still pending
• Motion unnecessary as CM already denotified: PML-N leader
• CM denotification was delayed due to Chief Secretary Abdullah Sunbul: sources

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday withdrew its no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, terming it unnecessary after his denotification by the governor.

PML-N leader Khalil Tahir Sandhu said "The no-trust move became ineffective as the governor has denotified the CM." He added that PML-N had withdrawn only the motion against the chief minister and the ones against speaker and deputy speaker are still pending.

Sandu added that they would accept whatever the court's verdict is on Elahi's petition regarding the governor's action. He added that under the Supreme Court's ruling, the governor can summon a session of the assembly whenever he wishes.

PML-N moved the no-confidence resolution against the chief minister days after Pakistan Tehkreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan announced that the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies would be dissolved on December 23 (today).

The joint opposition, PML-N and PPP, in the Punjab Assembly filed the no-trust motion as part of its strategy to counter the PTI’s move.

The document was submitted by PML-N’s lawmakers Mian Marghoob Ahmad, Khalil Tahir Sandhu and Khawaja Imran Nazeer. PPP’s parliamentary leader Hassan Murtaza accompanied the delegation.

CM denotification delayed due to chief secretary

Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman denotified Chief Minister Parvez Elahi in the wee hours of Friday, citing a failure to take the vote of confidence from the provincial assembly as the political turmoil in Pakistan's largest province persists. 

Sources told Geo News that the governor prepared the notification to denotify the chief minister on Thursday afternoon. However, the notification was delayed due to Chief Secretary Punjab Abdullah Sunbul.

Abdullah said he was in a cabinet session after being informed about the notification. Upon the second call, he said he wanted to consult legal experts regarding the notification.

The notification was finally issued after the chief secretary assented at 11:30 pm on Thursday.