Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan speaker Provincial Assembly. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Khan Gorchani will perform Khan's duty as speaker of the Punjab Assembly for the time being.
Sources close to Rana Iqbal said he might be acting governor for a few months before a permanent replacement is found.
Constitutionally, in the absence of a governor, the Punjab Assembly speaker or chief justice of the Lahore High Court can perform the role as acting governor. However, former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry restricted chief justice’s from taking the role, and it is now passed on to the speaker.
Further, sources in the federal government said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership is heavily engaged in Senate elections.
Sources in the PML-N said the top leadership contemplated a few names for the post before Sarwar's resignation.
Regarding the current situation, party sources said Chaudhry Saud Majeed is still a front runner among candidates for the race of the Punjab governorship due to several reasons.
RELATED: Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar resigns after making anti-govt remarks
Sources further added that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has appointed its new PPP South Punjab chapter -- President Makhdom Ahmed Mehmood -- to revive the party in South Punjab.
Makhdom Ahmed was PPP's Governor before Sarwar.
They also said that PML-N is seriously contemplating to field Chaudhry Saud Majeed to counter PPP's new move in South Punjab, and that Saud may resolve the problems of the people of South Punjab while is in the Governor House.
Traditionally, a governor is always appointed from South Punjab if the Punjab chief minister is from Central Punjab. And in Sindh, if the chief minister is from an urban area then the governor who is appointed will be from interior Sindh in order to balance representation of the area.
Although Sarwar was from South Punjab, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif appointed him the slot based on Sarwar’s wishes..
Regarding Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, party sources said that PML-N’s top leadership though that appointing a woman in this slot would be beneficial in developing a soft stance of the party at the time.
However, sources said the situation had now changed as Begum’s real brother, Sardar Babli Khan, and others are staunch supporters and candidates of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Mianwali.
COMMENTS (7)
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@Chacho: An Impostor of my name is on ET. Bring some originality rather than copying.
@Rex Minor: it must be good to be on the dole in Germany. The Germans feed you, clothe you house you, while YOU loll around all day on the computer. Posting anti Pak comments. While waiting for asylum.
ET moderators please print. Responding to extremists supporter's comment.
Wearing ill fitted suit. Sleeves reaching his knuckles. 30 years out of style. And this is the new Governor??
Governer Sarwar failed in his plan to topple the govt and was didelined. This was the only thing he could to.
@Rex Minor: Why are Indians even talking here......OBSESSED
Why acting? Pakistan does not require the posts of Governors which were previously given to the Brits who represented the Crown. Pakistan has the choice to make a swiss land from the several Nations it has or a swiss cheese with too many holes in it. Its large army has very limited role and must be cut down to reflect its deterrence weaponry.
Rex Minor
Does it really matter ?.............