President Dr Arif Ali on Monday directed Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema to continue working in his office till a decision is taken on the summary of the latter’s removal by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Continue performing your duties as Governor Punjab until a decision is taken on the summary,” read the brief statement from the presidency.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday sacked the Punjab governor through a summary forwarded to the president to pave the way for the oath-taking of his son Hamza Shehbaz as the chief minister Punjab, after Cheema expressed reservations on the process of his election.

Talking to Business Recorder, Ahmad Bilal Mehboob, President, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), said that the essence of the Constitution is that the president is bound to accept the summary forwarded to him by the Constitution.

However, he added that the President can delay accepting the summary for 25 days prior to de-notifying the governor by taking advantage of Article 48 of the Constitution.

According Article 48: “In the exercise of his functions, the President shall act (on and) in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet (or the Prime Minister): (Provided that (after fifteen days) the President may require the Cabinet or as the case may be, the Prime Minister to reconsider such advice, either generally or otherwise, and the President shall, (within ten days,) act in accordance with the advice tendered after such reconsideration).

The story was originally published in Business Recorder on April 19, 2022.