The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday formed a larger bench to hear the petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Umar Sarfaraz Cheema against his removal as Punjab governor, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Earlier giving arguments in the court, Advocate Babar Awan, counsel for the ex-governor, said that the Registrar Office had raised two objections to the petition. “The first objection was that the notification had not been attached with the petition. This was because we were not given the notification,” he said, adding, “The second objection was that the matter did not fall in the jurisdiction of the court.”

IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah remarked that it was the federal government which had de-notified Cheema as Punjab governor. “Powers of the president have been laid down in the constitution. This is a parliamentary, and not presidential, form of government,” he said, and advised Advocate Awan to first read the relevant Supreme Court (SC) verdicts before coming to the court on the next hearing. 

Later, the court adjourned hearing of the case until May 24.  

Umar Sarfaraz Cheema had yesterday (Thursday, May 19, 2022) challenged the notification of his removal as Punjab governor in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).  

In his petition, which he filed through Babar Awan Advocate, he argued that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in order to facilitate the oath-taking of his son Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab chief minister, removed him from the office in violation of the rules and regulations.   

Cheema also sought the court order for action against those who got the notification issued by the Cabinet Division. 

He further said that a governor was the representative of the federation, and not part of the executive, in a province. “He can remain in the office so long as he enjoys the support of the president. In the light of the verdicts given by the Supreme Court (SC), the powers of a president cannot be snatched from him by invoking rules,” read the petition.

Reporter: Ihtesham Kiani