Governor to ‘clear’ CM’s summary soon

LAHORE – Punjab Governor Latif Khosa is likely to clear the chief minister’s summary seeking removal of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) ministers from the provincial cabinet soon, PPP sources told Pakistan Today on Sunday.
The governor told reporters at an official engagement that he would follow the constitution while responding to the summary. The PPP sources said that the governor was scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi on Sunday evening to discuss the political situation in the province.
According to Article 105 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the governor has to respond to the chief minister’s advice within 15 days or he may send the case back to the chief minister for reconsideration. After the passage of the 18th Amendment, however, if the governor does not respond to the chief minister’s advice within the stipulated time, it is considered approved.
The sources said that the PPP leadership did not intend to delay the removal of the party’s ministers in the provincial cabinet and the governor would clear the summary in a day or two. The ministers to be removed were reportedly Raja Riaz, Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Neelam Jabbar Chaudhry, Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna, Farooq Yousaf Ghurki, Haji Muhammad Ishaq and Tanvir-ul-Islam.
Separately, Khosa told reporters at the inauguration of gas supply to Khudian in Kasur that the PPP would not try to destabilise the Punjab government. He said that if any unconstitutional act was done, he would play his constitutional role. Governor Khosa said further that the people would not forgive those who were conspiring against democracy.
He said that the PPP was ready for the next elections and would win decisively if they were not rigged. The governor added that the government had had to take some tough decisions but all of them were in the greater interest of the people.