President approves appointment of Balighur Rehman as Governor Punjab

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Monday approved the appointment of PML-N’s Balighur Rehman as the new Punjab governor, ending a weeks-long deadlock with the premier over the constitutional office.

The president gave approval on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under Article 101 (1) of the Constitution.
Earlier, on May 7, PM Shehbaz sent a summary suggesting Rehman’s appointment which President Alvi rejected.

Rejecting the first summary. the President replied that Omar Sarfraz Cheema was still holding the post of Governor of Punjab and there was no justification for the new appointment, under Article 101 (2) of the Constitution whereas the current situation in the country demands that the incumbent governor retain his post.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif should reconsider his advice regarding the appointment of the Punjab governor in accordance with Article 48 (1) of the Constitution, he had further stated.

The prime minister then sent the second summary to President Alvi a week ago.

The then PTI government had sacked Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar as Punjab governor and had appointed Omar Sarfraz Cheema.

Cheema had created many difficulties for the new PML-N government and had refused to administer the oath to Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab’s chief minister.

Rehman has served as the federal education minister in PML-N’s previous government.