Fuelling Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) fears and allegations that the Punjab government was trying to take over the Governor’s House, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said the relocation of the Governor House to a smaller location was under consideration.
Speaking to reporters outside the Punjab Assembly, Sanaullah said shifting the Punjab governor to a smaller office was under consideration and the governor could be shifted to one of the homes occupied by commissioners and deputy commissioners. He said a one-kanal office could be allotted to the Punjab governor in GOR.
Arguing for the relocation, he said large houses, including those allotted to commissioners, DCOs and governor’s offices should be substituted with smaller premises. To a question, he said legislation was not needed to end the governor’s quota in housing schemes, as the reduction in quota would be in force with the amendment of rules. The governor should read the rules again about his authority, Sanaullah said.
He said that after passage of the 18th Amendment, the governor did not enjoy the authority of appointing vice chancellors of the universities. Reacting to Sanaullah’s plans about the Governor’s House, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz said if the chief minister was vacating his offices at 90-Shahrah-e-Quiad-e-Azam and 7-Club Road, they would vacate the Governor’s House as well.
“Otherwise, the PPP will agitate against all conspiracies being hatched by the PML-N against the governor,” he said earlier. Riaz said the Punjab government had earlier taken over the Governor’s House in Murree with the help of police and was now trying to capture the Governor’s House Lahore.
