Cheema challenges removal in IHC

CJ Minallah will hear petition today along with Registrar’s objections

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed a petition against removal of former Punjab governor Omar Cheema, for hearing on Friday (today) along with objections of the Registrar’s Office.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah will hear the petition. Earlier, Assistant Registrar Asad Khan raised objections to the petition saying that the matter belonged to Punjab and did not fall in the jurisdiction of the IHC.

In the petition, filed through lawyer Babar Awan, Cheema had said the governor was the representative of the president in the province and not part of the executive.

The petition further stated that the governor could remain in office till he enjoyed the pleasure of the president.

The petitioner said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif illegally removed him from office to benefit his son Hamza. Cheema challenged the notification of his removal from office, saying that it was issued without any authority.

The government further said that his unconstitutional removal had created a constitutional crisis in the province, which had been running without a cabinet for two months. He requested the court to declare the notification for removal illegal and reinstate him as governor.

Talking to media outside the IHC, lawyer Babar Awan said that ever since the “imported prime minister” had come he had been doing everything to benefit his son. He mentioned that police were called to the Punjab Assembly, while the opposition was thrown out.

In these circumstances, Omar Sarfraz Cheema took a stand, he said, adding that the notification of the removal of Cheema was a clear violation of the Constitution. He stressed that the governor might stay in office till the pleasure of the president.