Governor Punjab Omar Cheema rejects Usman Buzdar's resignation

Lahore: Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema on Saturday rejected the resignation of Usman Buzdar, GNN reported.

The development came hours before the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected Chief Minster Hamza Shahbaz Sharif.

Omar Sarafraz Cheema, in his letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, stated that the March 28 resignation letter of Usman Buzdar was not in accordance with the rules as it was addressed to the prime minister and not to the governor which was mandatory as per sub-section 8 of Article 130 of the Constitution.

Omar Cheema further stated that The resignation was not addressed to the governor which was unconstitutional and thus rejected.

Earlier on Friday, Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the National Assembly Speaker to take oath from the newly-elected Punjab Chief Minster Hamza Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday. 

The LHC judge Justice Jawad Hassan pronounced the reserved verdict on Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shahbaz’s plea seeking the administration of oath to him — as he moved the court for the third time in this regard.

Delivering the verdict, Justice Jawad Hassan directed that Speaker of National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf should administer the oath of Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab Chief Minister on Saturday at 11:30 am.

It is pertinent to remember that Hamza was elected as Punjab’s chief minister on April 16. However, he hasn’t sworn in yet as his oath-taking was deferred twice despite the LHC’s directives not to delay the matter any further.